Illegality
By Kamal Tayo Oropo
Lagos, July 25, 2019 (NAN) A South Africa born Nigerian, Mr Xolane Ndhlovu, has advised Nigerians living in South Africa to stay away from any form of illegality.
Ndhlovu said in a statement issued on Thursday in Lagos that staying away from illegality was one of the ways Nigerians could live peacefully in the former apartheid enclave.
The 33-year-old business and media mogul was born of a Nigerian father and South African mother
He listed certain reasons why some Nigerians get murdered in South Africa to include their involvement in a crime.
According to him, 70 per cent of Nigerians killed in South Africa is directly or indirectly involved in illegal activities, while the killings are often masterminded by fellow Nigerians.
“Enormous battles are being fought among Nigerians in South Africa, such as the battle of power, territorial control, deals that went wrong and gang-related battles.
“South Africans are being paid by Nigerians to kill Nigerians.
“Some corrupt South African police are being paid and used by Nigerians to fight their battles against fellow Nigerians,’’ he said.
Ndhlovu, born to Mr John Umeh, Nigerian and Susan Ndhlovu, South African, claimed that another 10 per cent of Nigerian causalities were those that become victims of police brutality against foreigners.
“We have had many occurrences where Nigerian nationals were suffocated and killed by the police during interrogation.
“Some undeniable factors that may somewhat lead to such events, for instance, police cannot walk into my offices and suffocate me to death.
“When you decide to involve yourself in shenanigan and dishonest activities you become inclined to police harassment and barbarities,’’ he stated.
He said South Africa has a high rate of murders, assaults, rapes and other violent crimes, compared to most countries.
Ndhlovu explained that this affects everyone in South Africa, including citizens and non-citizens.
He added that other Nigerians also get caught in the crossfire, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“For an example, a few years ago there was an incident in Limpopo where a Nigerian visited a friend, whose house was marked by South African Police Service as a drug house.
“The house was raided and this visiting guy was caught on the wrong side at the wrong time.
“For as long as you are a Nigerian and in that marked house you are a suspect.’’
He said the Nigerian was tortured and masked with a plastic bag in the quest to pursue him to reveal where the alleged drug consignment was being kept.
“Unfortunately, he collapsed and died on the scene.
“The worst part, in some incidents like this, the owner of the property may see the police arriving and escape since he knew the routes and leave the visitor to face the brutal repercussion of his actions,’’ he said.
Ndhlovu, however, alleged that the vast majority of South Africans naturally hate foreigners, except the Whites.
He explained that that was where the barbaric xenophobic rhetoric came from and fuelled by some political leaders.
Ndlohlovu advised Nigerians to be wary of misguided information designed to pad the real truth about what is happening among the Nigerian community in South Africa. (NAN)
KTO/AIB
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Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde