A Nigerian man who returned from South Africa, Itoro Richard, has shared how escalating xenophobic thre.ats forced him to abandon his business, property and livelihood, saying he chose to return home with nothing rather than lose his life
Speaking during an interview with Arise News Television, Richard said he fled South Africa after receiving repeated threats, fearing he would become another victim of a.ttacks targeting African migrants, particularly Nigerians.
According to him, resentment over the success of many Nigerians contributed to the hostility they faced.
“One of the issues that caused the divide between us and South Africans is that they could not understand how we came to their country with nothing and still managed to build wealth.
“They resented that we were so smart and resilient. My experience in South Africa was bad, not because my business was struggling, but because of the hatred from some South Africans simply because I am Nigerian.”
Richard also claimed his South African wife was subjected to intimidation because of their marriage.
“My South African wife was even told she would be arrested for marrying a foreign national,” he said.
He explained that the situation became unbearable after several people allegedly threatened to k!ll him, including an attendant at a petrol station he regularly visited.
“Someone said to be forewarned is to be forearmed, and I left because of a lot of physical threats.
“There was a guy at the petrol station where I bought fuel. He told me, ‘Come the 30th, you will see a different me.’ He threatened to sever my head and said he would k!ll me and do terrible things to my family.”
Richard said his landlord, a Zulu man whom he described as a former anti-apartheid activist, urged him to take the threats seriously and advised him to leave immediately.
“He told me these were just a few rotten eggs, but he advised me to leave my house,” Richard recalled.
He said that decision ultimately saved his life. After spending a night away from his residence, he learned that two Malawian neighbours had allegedly been killed in a violent attack near his home.
“I went there to see what happened, but it was too gruesome. One was mauled, the other was hit with bricks. The police were there, and I was told I would be next and that my house would also be destroyed,” he said.
Richard said he left South Africa with nothing except the opportunity to stay alive, abandoning everything he had worked to build.
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