South African Politician Slams Nigerians as 'Horrible' Amid Xenophobic Violence

In a shocking display of xenophobia, Thabile Sibeko, the leader of the Inizwe Nathi Party in South Africa, has publicly denounced Nigerians as 'horrible' people. This outburst came as she visited the airport to witness the departure of a group of Nigerians who were being evacuated from the country due to escalating violence against foreigners. Sibeko's remarks were made to journalists at the airport, where she expressed her disdain for the Nigerian nationals, accusing them of introducing drug abuse to South African youth. She stated, 'I am here to bid farewell to Nigerians, to make sure they are leaving our country and to say to them, bye bye Nigerians. Thank you for all you contributed in country but we do not appreciate all the wrongs that you have done and we hope that you have learnt a lesson.' Sibeko further emphasized that the actions of Nigerians have led to the destruction of South African children through drug abuse, likening them to 'zombies.' Her comments coincided with the evacuation of 268 Nigerian citizens from South Africa on June 10, following weeks of targeted anti-foreigner riots and rising xenophobic sentiment. The first batch of evacuees arrived safely in Nigeria on June 11. The Nigerian Federal Government had initiated the evacuation effort in response to the growing violence and hostility towards Nigerians in South Africa.