Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Nigerian man living in South Africa has declared he will not leave the country despite an ultimatum issued by anti-immigrant groups, insisting that the house he built with his hard-earned money is worth more to him than the threat of violence.
"I built this house in South Africa with my hard-earned money. They're now giving me a deadline to leave the country, but I'm not going anywhere," the man said in a video that went viral yesterday that has sparked intense debate across social media platforms.
The man's defiant stance comes against the backdrop of escalating xenophobic tensions in South Africa, where anti-immigrant groups had set a 30 June 2026 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Thousands of South Africans marched in cities across the country on 30 June, chanting slogans demanding that African migrants leave. The protests have been fueled by high unemployment rates, which have risen above 30 per cent, and longstanding grievances over competition for jobs and public services.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has been evacuating its citizens from South Africa, with President Bola Tinubu extending the evacuation programme beyond the June 30 deadline to ensure all Nigerians who registered for repatriation are safely returned. More than 850 Nigerians have been evacuated across multiple flights. However, many others have chosen to remain, some out of economic necessity and others, like the man in the video, out of a determination to protect the assets they have built over years of hard work.
The video has drawn mixed reactions. Some South Africans have expressed anger at what they perceive as defiance of their country's laws, while others have commended the man's courage. Among Nigerians, many have praised his resolve, while others have urged caution, warning that property is not worth risking one's life.
The South African government has rejected Nigeria's demand for compensation for properties abandoned by evacuated citizens. The Nigerian government, however, has continued to pursue diplomatic channels, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warning that "all options remain on the table" if attacks on Nigerians persist.
For the man in the video, the decision to stay is personal. His house represents years of sacrifice and a future he refuses to abandon. As he put it: "I'm not going anywhere."
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