South Africa’s Consul-General to Nigeria, Professor Bobby Moroe, has dismissed claims that Nigerians in South Africa are being attacked because of their romantic relationships with South African women.
Moroe, in an interview with The PUNCH, said such claims were not accurate, stressing that South Africa is a constitutional democracy where individuals are free to make personal choices.
“It cannot be. We live in a constitutional democracy where everybody is allowed to exercise their freedoms, and nobody, no matter how they feel, is permitted to interfere with people’s preferences. Love knows no borders,” he said.
The diplomat acknowledged that relationships between Nigerian men and South African women have attracted public attention but argued that nationality should not determine who people choose to marry or date.
He also rejected the suggestion that South African men generally resent Nigerian men, citing his own friendships and interest in Nigerian culture as an example.
Moroe, however, said some South Africans had genuine concerns about undocumented foreign nationals and alleged violations of the country’s laws.
According to him, South Africa has hosted foreign nationals from across Africa for many years, but concerns arise when some foreigners allegedly reside in the country illegally.
“I do not think any country in the world would allow anybody to live within its borders illegally,” he said.
The Consul-General also argued that the term “xenophobia” was sometimes applied too broadly to South Africa whenever concerns about immigration were raised.
He maintained that peaceful protests over immigration and other related issues should not automatically be labelled xenophobic.
Moroe further disputed some reports of alleged extrajudicial killings involving Nigerians in South Africa.
He cited the case of a Nigerian national in Cape Town who, according to a report received by the South African authorities, allegedly swallowed substances after learning that he was about to be arrested and later died from complications.
The incident, he said, was subsequently attributed to an alleged extrajudicial killing, although he acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the death had not been independently verified.
Moroe said South Africa was prepared to take responsibility where wrongdoing occurred but argued that the country should not be blamed for incidents that did not result from actions by the authorities or xenophobic groups.
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