Xenophobic attacks: Horrific experience of a Nigerian
While it is believed that Nigerians in South Africa have lost most of their businesses, money and premises, they have also been losing blood, limbs while others are being buried at installments.
The case of Chinedu Nwankwo is one of numerous spine chilling stories of what Nigerians are passing through in South Africa.
Speaking to NewsTrack, traumatised Nwankwo could barely speak for 10 seconds without tears flowing down his chicks.
“All that I have ever worked for have gone down the drains. I was beaten like a thief by some boys, accusing me of taking their jobs. My car was taken away and for God’s intervention, my family was a target. I married to a South African. Since I came to this country, I have remained hard working. I started by working in a car leasing firm, where I showed diligence. I saved some money before veering into buying and selling. It was from there I saved enough to marry my wife. I have two lovely kids.
“It happened on September 2, 2019. I had sauntered into a Shop to buy some groceries but never had a premonition that danger was luching. As I made to enter my car, the next thing I saw were dangerous looking boys who surrounded me brandishing dangerous weapons. The next I heard was, what are you still doing in our country? Have you not heard that we don’t want you again? We hate to see you here. The last thing I heard was a devastating hit on my head, I passed out.”
To ensure that I was dead, they pierced a knife through my cheek to the upper jaw sending me to almost a perpetual coma. They did not stop at that, side of my right eye was also stabbed with a machete hit on the chest.
“When they thought I was dead, they took all that I had, including my vehicle. Today I thank God that I can breath because a community of Nigerians with other African Nationals discovered what happened and charged towards them as they drove off with my car. They acted quickly to admit me in the hospital where I was revived.
Nwankwo said that feeding has been a problem because of the stab that pierced through his mouth. He said the Doctor advised he has to undergo surgery to remedy the damage done to his jaw.
It was after I was discharged from the hospital that I also realised that my family had taken refuge somewhere following attacks on Nigerians around our residence.
Speaking on the casualties, he said point blank that a lot Nigerians are under pitiable conditions due to deadly attacks on them with killer weapons. ” I do not know if anyone had died but all I know is that most people have received even worse punishments. People have lost their eyes, limbs, teeth and other parts of the body”; he stated.
He insisted that Nigerians do not deserve the treatment being meted out to them because they have proved to be the nucleus of the business community in South Africa competing favourably with other European and Asian Nationals.
When asked to confirm the allegation against Nigerians indulging in criminal active like drug trafficking and other crimes, he waved that with the back of hand. He said; “It is not every Nigerian that is bad and indulge in criminality. Those that do cannot succeed without the help of their South African brothers. Meanwhile, there are extant laws of the land that take care of these deviant acts.”
On whether he wishes to remain in South Africa, he quickly said he has lost every interest. “Whatever it is I am homebound. I am returning to Nigeria. I believe this must have taught our leaders some good lesson. The earlier the fix infrastructures and make the environment conducive the better.”
He however warned that Nigeria must be decisive in her response to the misdeeds of South African government, describing them as jealous and envious.
Do believe what the government says. They are fuelling these crises. How many people Nigerians have been killed by South African police and security agencies, they are numerous. Federal Government must intervene to stop the mindless destructions and issue of compensation. “We can work our lives out only to end like this in the hands of these hoodlums.”
Truly, Mr. Nwankwo could be right in his decision to return to Nigeria with his life following a tacit resolve of the South African government to support the her citizens’ xenophobic attack.
This may not be unconnected with the statement of the country’s Minister of Mosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula where she said: “The reality is that we have an angry nation. What’s happening can never be prevented by any government.
” Peaople are saying some heads of state decided not to attend the World Economic Forum; we should be talking about why this whole thing is coinciding with that.”
“People are saying it is xenophobic attacks but it is not the first time, we have had them in the past. We have criminals that have the situation and are aware that we have challenges right now.
” We have talked on the issues of high Raye of unemployment, of some foreign nationals who are not conducting themselves in an appropriate manner as we would expect. Those breaking the bylaws of the country, and you now have criminal elements who have decided that we are going to use all of those things to find reasons to attack people.”
With such defeatist standpoint of a Minister of Defence it is almost unbelievable that South African government is not in the know of the the plan if they are not the hatchers and string pullers.
The same statement the Minister of Police and that of the the President is not different. We may have just had a State of South Africa that has chosen to adopt isolationism as a foreign policy. Time they say shall tell.
Source: (NewsTrack Nigeria)
