South African politician labels Nigerians ‘horrible’ during repatriation farewell

A SOUTH AFRICAN woman who claimed to be the leader of a political party sparked controversy on Wednesday after publicly bidding farewell to Nigerians being repatriated from the country amid rising xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals.

The woman, who identified herself as Thabile Sibeko, said she was the president of the Inizwe Nathi Party. Speaking to journalists at an airport in South Africa, she said she had come to see off Nigerians departing the country.

Her remarks came as the first group of 262 Nigerians, largely women and children, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday following weeks of escalating anti-immigrant violence in South Africa.

Addressing reporters, Sibeko said she wanted to ensure Nigerians were leaving South Africa and thanked them for their contributions to the country. However, she also accused them of wrongdoing and urged them to respect the laws and customs of countries they visit in the future.

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“We did not appreciate the wrongs that you have done, and we hope that you have learned a lesson,” she said, adding that Nigerians should take better care of other countries when they travel abroad.

Sibeko further alleged that Nigerians were behind drug-related problems in South Africa, claiming that substance abuse had devastated communities and fuelled resentment among many South Africans.

“Today we’ve got zombies in our streets as our children because of them,” she said, arguing that the situation had caused deep pain and contributed to hostility toward Nigerians.

While expressing appreciation for some foreign nationals living in South Africa, Sibeko singled out Nigerians for criticism, describing them as “horrible” and blaming them for the spread of drugs.

“They’ve killed our children with drugs, and that is the reason why we are so strong on Nigeria because of their behaviour,” she said.

It could not be independently verified whether the Inizwe Nathi Party is officially registered in South Africa. Searches of publicly available records, including the database of South Africa’s Electoral Commission, did not show any listing for the party.

The repatriation exercise follows weeks of anti-foreigner unrest across parts of South Africa, where groups armed with sticks, whips and shields have marched through communities demanding that undocumented migrants leave the country by June 30.

A second flight carrying the remaining Nigerians from a total of 586 approved for repatriation is expected to depart on June 15.

South Africa’s Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, said the operation was part of routine immigration enforcement efforts, noting that deportations had risen by 46 percent over the past two years.

Nigerian authorities, however, insist that many of those returning home are fleeing xenophobic attacks. According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 1,000 Nigerians have registered for voluntary repatriation. :::