A Ghanaian man evacuated from South Africa following reported xenophobic tensions has sparked reactions online after making a controversial claim about why some South African men allegedly resent foreign nationals.
Speaking after arriving in Ghana, the evacuee suggested that jealousy plays a role in the hostility experienced by some foreigners living in South Africa.
According to him, some South African men feel threatened by the attention foreign nationals receive from local women.
“The South African men are jealous of us because we service their women well in bed,” he claimed during comments that have since circulated widely online.
The statement comes amid renewed conversations about xenophobia in South Africa, where foreign nationals from several African countries have occasionally reported harassment, attacks and discrimination over the years.
While some social media users laughed off the remark as a joke, others criticised the comment, arguing that it oversimplifies a much deeper issue involving unemployment, crime perceptions, immigration tensions and economic competition.
South Africa has witnessed several waves of xenophobic violence over the past two decades, with migrants from countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique among those affected.
The latest comments have once again drawn attention to the complicated relationship between local communities and foreign nationals living in Africa’s most industrialised economy.
As reactions continue online, many observers say addressing xenophobia will require more than social media debates, pointing instead to the need for stronger regional cooperation, economic opportunities and public education across the continent.
