A Nigerian returnee, Okafor Ugochukwu, has recounted how repeated xenophobic attacks in South Africa forced him to flee the country without his two daughters after losing his businesses, home and means of livelihood.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard on Tuesday, Ugochukwu, an indigene of Anambra State, said he left Nigeria in 2014 in search of better opportunities and eventually spent about a decade living and running businesses in South Africa.
He said his journey took him through Tanzania and Mozambique before he settled in Johannesburg, where he established a clothing business that enabled him to build a stable life.
“I’ve been there like 10 years. I left Nigeria in 2014 because I wanted to travel. I have been to Tanzania, I have been to Mozambique, but I spent my good 10 years in South Africa. I was doing business there. I had a boutique where I sold clothes,” he said.
According to Ugochukwu, he had planned to return to Nigeria in 2017 but was unable to travel because of passport-related immigration issues. After his flight ticket expired, he invested the remaining funds into expanding his business.
“I bought my ticket in 2017 because I wanted to return home, but I was denied because of issues with my passport. The ticket expired, so I used the little money I had left to start another business,” he said.
His fortunes, however, changed in 2018 when his business was destroyed during a xenophobic attack targeting foreign nationals. With financial support from relatives in Nigeria, he started another business selling earphones, hair products and other accessories.
He said he managed to rebuild his life before another wave of attacks destroyed his shop again.
“They came to my place. They burnt my place and destroyed my business. I lost everything. I had no choice but to run because my life is very important,” he said.
Describing the most recent violence as the final blow, Ugochukwu said he fled South Africa with nothing, abandoning his home, business and personal belongings.
“I left my place without anything. I left broke. My house and everything were destroyed. I’m stranded. I’m homeless. I’m down,” he lamented.
He revealed that one of the hardest decisions he had to make was leaving behind his two daughters.
“I do have two girls back there. I’m so sorry and disappointed,” he said.
After escaping the attacks, Ugochukwu said he sought refuge at the Nigerian Consulate in Pretoria, where he stayed until arrangements were made for his evacuation to Nigeria.
He expressed gratitude to the federal government for facilitating his return.
“Thank God for our President for making it possible for us to return to Nigeria because when there is life, there is hope,” he said.
Ugochukwu also challenged the perception that Nigerians in South Africa are responsible for unemployment and crime.
“The only thing they tell us is that we are taking their jobs and taking their women. But I don’t understand that because most Nigerians there have their own businesses. We have our own shops. We are there to survive,” he said.
Rejecting the stereotype that Nigerians are involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activities, he added, “Sometimes they think everybody is a drug dealer or involved in illegal things. But no, we are all there to survive and make an honest living.”
Describing life in South Africa for many foreigners, Ugochukwu said, “Staying in South Africa is like a war zone. When your fellow blacks see you as a threat and keep telling you to go back to your country, life becomes very difficult.”
He appealed to the Nigerian government to support returnees as they rebuild their lives.
“I’m back in Nigeria to start my life again. I just hope and pray that the government will assist us in one way or another so we can get back on our feet. Even though I lost everything, I’m happy to be back home because when there is life, there is hope,” he said.
