"One of my biggest clients, Michael Olusegun Osatuyi decided to spend a weekend break during the Easter period in South Africa to get away from the stress of his job for a while.
"He purchased a South African Airways Business Class ticket worth over N500,000 for this purpose and proceeded to set out on Thursday, April 17th 2014. As with all trips abroad he had previously made, he made a hotel reservation via booking.com. When he arrived the Lagos airport, he was informed he could not board the flight unless the reservation had been paid for. This was promptly done on the hotel website, Crowne Plaza Rosebank Johannesburg and the card was pre-authorised after which he was allowed to board the flight.
The first question is: when citizens of other countries travel to South Africa, are they forced to pay for their stay before they arrive the hotel premises? Are they denied boarding even when they have confirmed reservations booked with their debit/credit card details? In spite of this, Mr. Osatuyi paid and boarded.
When he arrived Johannesburg at 5.00am South African time on Friday, the 18th, the immigration officer called the hotel and reached a member of staff that saw the cancelled booking.com reservation and said the reservation had not been paid for.
My client promptly called me and I in turn called Crowne Plaza and spoke to a professional gentleman called Mondli who sent me the proof of payment and a copy of the reservation. I sent them to Mr. Osatuyi, who by this time had his phones seized from him by the immigration officials and locked up in a common cell with the key taken away like a criminal!!!
When I could no longer reach Mr. Osatuyi, I called various numbers of the South African immigration until I reached the woman in charge of the case. To say she was hostile would be an understatement. She refused to give her name but she picked up the phone number +27115718734 four times between the hours of 7:14 and 8:20 South African time so she can easily be traced. I explained that the hotel employee she spoke to had referred to the booking.com reservation and that she should call the hotel again to confirm that there was indeed proof of payment. She insisted that she can only call any hotel once after which I asked the Hotel Manager to call her which he did. He later informed me that she was extremely hostile and said she had taken a decision that could not be reversed and that Mr. Osatuyi had been assigned to leave with the next flight back to Lagos at 2:00pm.
Mr. Osatuyi was denied access to his phones, a lawyer and consular staff throughout his stay in that cell. He had a business class ticket but was denied access to the business lounge at the airport until he boarded the flight.
This situation, in my opinion is completely unacceptable! Even in more advanced countries like the United States and United Kingdom, passengers are granted the right of access and hotel reservations are paid for on arrival at the hotel.
Why are Nigerians treated like trash in South Africa? Mr. Osatuyi deserves an unreserved apology from the South African government because it is a slap on the citizenry of this country and we find it unacceptable that a hard working person like himself would be treated as a criminal charged with an offence.
I also believe that if this trend continues, we should be reciprocal in our attitude towards South African citizens when they arrive our shores. Full payment of hotel accommodation must be made before they board flights to our esteemed country.
Enough is enough! Justice must be served.
Sincerely
Adebisi Adegbite Kuforiji
242 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 242 of 242This is really sad and I'm beginning to believe the South African government is doing a fast one on Nigerians to raise revenue that is never refunded if one is not allowed entry into their country.
I have lost money to that country which I can never recover in similar circumstances and I never went and the hotel never refunded my money. South Africans are criminals who are lazy and are drunks who feel they can always cheat on us and have nothing to offer. MTN and their likes should be punished in the same manner and I bet they will immediately stop this criminal behavior.
Y won't de treat nijas like shit? Wicked country filled wit fraudsters and murderers.
By traveling most of d countries, u mean cotonou? Or ivory coast?
Y won't de treat nijas like shit? Wicked country filled wit fraudsters and murderers.
I hpe u get d same treatment, den ur 'govt' is blamed 4 treating u like trash..jst wait n see, 4 ur own sake..hpe u dnt feel bad
Drop your mtn lines!! Stop your dstv subscription!!!
I'm married to a South African and I've been there a couple of times. The truth is that I'm ashamed with what our Nigeria young men do over there in south africa. There are quite few hardworking and responsible Nigerians living in SA but I must confess that 75% of our people either do drugs or yahoo and that's simply the reason why they are hostile to us.
You are worst criminals coming to steal our money to your country, I don't blame you to open your gutter mouth to insult us .foolish HIV idiots.
Nigerians have not suffered enough from the hands of other countries, i expect them to treat more people as trash and shit like they have treated this man. Until Nigerians are ready to take their destinies into their hands and fight wicked leaders who are making them run out of Nigeria, Until they are ready to fight Like Libya and Tunisia and Egypt and stop being a coward, they should enjoy their sufferings in the hands of South African and even Ghanaian
If you think there is a heaven outside your country and you refuse to fight to make your country better, Get ready to be sent to Jail in other countries
Linda, I sent you an email about same treatment from Uganda authorities.. Check please
Oga go to d street n protest . Is Linda ur mother or ambassador of Nigeria to South Africa ?
U hav been misguided man ..
The reservation had been paid for and he had the debit alert on his phone. The immigration officials refused to look at it before his phones were seized. The hotel also forwarded his proof of payment to his email but he was denied access.
I agree that there are many places in Nigeria to visit but is it a crime to visit a 'fellow' African country rather than Dubai or the US?
Please read the entire write up before making comments. He paid for the booking! Also the hotel sent proof of payment to his email but he was denied access
Thank you for your comment. This is probably the same mindset of the immigration officials. The South African government should make a statement to this effect. If we are leeches, we are good ones for MTN.
You have no idea who this person is. An exceptional philanthropist that rose through the ranks. Without being in government, he has set up small business schemes for his people in the village with no interest. Because this is the internet does not mean you should just rant, Mr. Anonymous
Dare to show your face and utter this rubbish? Fool !!
Very true and well said I live in Johannesburg and you need to see what Nigerians do here before you judge
Are they not African's also? Or is it jealousy from the GDP report? We still remain the giants of Africa whether they like or not but our government should do something before this escalates into something else.
So we're their new victims of APARTHIED, thanks to our government for not doing anything.
Then we need to start treating these people the same way we are treated instead of welcoming every scum bucket into our country while we are disrespected in others.
It is high time we stopped moaning over how South Africans treat Nigerians with the worst of manners.
Its time we called them out for a real man to man fight.
And I know we will crush them into humanitarian conditions!!!!
What rubbish!
That nasty country and her citizens are fit for nothing other than oppression as in the days of yore when apartheid reigned supreme and wasted them, telling volumes of the warped DNA of which South Africans are made of, a people fit for the dogs and vultures and nothing more!!!!
Bastards!!!!!!
We have stomached for too long South Africans' notorious xenophobia.
ENOUGH!!!!!
Take a look, for example, at what even SA companies are doing to Nigerians right here in Nigeria.
Yet we've refused to apply real whip on them like little kids, as they continue to run riot and ride rough shod over Nigerians right in their own country.
What nonsense!.
Please what is the Nigerian government doing to protect our citizens who are being levied all kinds of mistreatment and hate by South Africans?
Are these South African, as it were, trying to compensate for the oppression from the apartheid days of yore?
MTN, for example, has bluntly refused to erect any physical structure they can call their own in Nigeria.
And this is as a matter of corporate policy.
Meaning of course that Nigeria is for that stupid country good only for use, exploitation and dumping at any fucking given opportunity.
That same policy is duplicated in their ignoble HR policy towards Nigerians, who are hired and treated like the slaves they were under apartheid regime.
Enough of this SA insanity.
It is time to retaliate vigorously and drive South Africans and SA companies out of Nigeria!!!!!
I hate that useless country and its population of bastard !!!!!
True... In the Cape, Helen Zille deh tackle them now.. Most of them are running to jburg
Bet you it is the money that fucked up country makes from MTN's and DSTV's operations in Nigeria that they are using to fend for their miserable selves!!!!!
Down with that exploitative GSM operator called MTN...
That network is so fucked, so expensive and a bad influence on the other operators.
Please let's tackle SA for once.
Let's call their bluff.
Let's stop seeking their patronage.
Let's look inwards!!!!!
Let's stop making SA claim what it is not!!!!
Why is our government allowing the near monopoly of DSTV?
Why has NCC refused to come hard on MTN?
Just why?????????
Now I am really, very incensed!!!!!!
Nigerians should stop going to South Africa, Johannesburg in particular. They hate Nigerians. They stalk Nigerians from the airport and rob them at gunpoint on the highway.
The South African police do not report these crimes and they laugh in your face at the police station. Several Nigerians have been shot by highway robbers, but nobody reports these crimes that happen on a daily basis. I beg all Nigerians to stop going there. It is a terrible place. They hate us with a vengeance.
To be honest with you guys ..l do feel sorry for the gentleman who experienced this encounter ..it is so sad l am from one of the Southern African country (not South Africa)..South Africa and Botswana DO NO LIKE FOREIGNERS unless there are Black Americans or whites and black Africans are treated like Shit. What happened to this gentleman is nothing compared to what is not reported...so sad l tell you. Love Nigeria by the way coming to visit sometime this year l hear you are a GREAT bunch of a nation ...God bless Nigeria .xxx
Loooool! Word my nvgga Word!
Hello Linda ..don't knw how u get all ur info..bout Nigerians ...suffering in SA I have been in SA for 11 yrs ..Nigerians are doin really well in SA holding good positions in major companies...1 thing I know is when u do things right here in SA they won't come near u ....
Is it their fault? when the Nigerian employed in their embassy in Lagos treat their fellow Nigerians like shit. especially an idiot called ben and motun, there are the most corrupt people on earth. the consular are corrupt, they issue visas for people who pay them and refuse people without any connection. all they will say is documents lacks credibility, but if you pay them, the same documents that lacks credibility will be granted for a visa. "WE WILL STAND UP AND KICK THEIR EMBASSIES OUT OF NIGERIA, NIGERIANS LETS FIGHT FOR OUR SELVES SINCE OUR GOVERNMENT ARE LESS CONCERNED"
The truth be said, Nigerians messed themselves to the crest here in SA and whatever comes out of it, though unfortunate is the fallout of IBO people and their negative drive for money by all means.Simple!
We really do not understand how we intimidate and dominate others.
How we make others feel with our ostentatious lifestyle. Although very glossy on the outside. I know its empty inside but since humans are moved by sight.
They think its all bed of roses.
That is the reason for the Hate.
Nigeria is a poor country by all standards. However, our emerging middle class will show off at every given opportunity.
We like to show we have Money, Learned and more civil than any other Black Nation.
Wealth speaks for itself. You don't need a loudspeaker.
We should learn to be Humble and Respectful.
It is a fact which cannot be underestimated or overemphasized as regards the attitudes of South Africans towards foreigners, particularly Nigerians.
The truth of the matter is that Not once have we heard of South Africans being treated this way abroad.
There are South Africans in Nigeria and I don't think any has been maltreated before.
Nigerians are generally endurant people but if SA want to be nasty, we can be nastier. Watch the space
im not amused by this article, south africans will only stop this once nigerians start reciprocating same treatment onto their citizens.an average south african is not aware that there other south africans in other parts of africa, they think they are the alpha and omega of the continent hence the trooping in of foreigners into their country.you people can make noise for all you care on this platform SA sees itself as the power house of the continent and if you dont reciporcate they dont respect you. recently sa had a diplomatic row with rwanda which led to 3 rwandan diplomats expelled,Paul Kigame retaliated by expelling 6 SA diplomats from kigali, they were shocked how could ordinary rwanda up such ante.the SA president had to call for an amicable diplomatic settlement,thats what SA deserves,tit for tat. ive lived there for years,forget what some stupid nigerians say about their fellow nigerians committing crime in SA, are nigerians the only criminals in sa? NO! expectin the nija high commission to arise to the plight of nigerians is futile cos they even make it worse.discrimination is SAA is at the core of the anc led government,they hate foreigners and are now closing their doors strylishly to the entire continent,if you dont know yet read this post,its a research done recently and ive seen documents that synchronize with it at the home office,do you know they expel at least 2 nigerians every month,not illegal immigrants but the ones who have their permits in order,they fabricate lies,set up kangaroo courts and ask ypu to plead guilty otherwise you'll be spending weeks,months in lindela repatriation camp,anyone who wants more info can contact me on akarigbo_remo at hotmail, meanwhile read the link belowhttp://thisisafrica.me/south-africa-regional-leader-xenophobe/
i'll say lets begin by using this platform to launch an online campaign against south african businesses in nigeria.i believe we as nigerians have the power and zeal to do this since our corrupt govt only know whatever goes into their filthy mouths.pls drop me an email on akarigbo_remo@hotmail.com and we can make something happen.
Though not fair, but your leaders (politicians) should stop stealing our money to invest in other economies like SA. Instead they should provide infrastructures here, good enough to keep the citizens at home.
you better find person way go dey help you take care of the pussy for here oooooo.
you better find person way go dey help you take care of the pussy for here oooooo.
United Kingdom and American will not treat anyone who is not an illegal immigrant lie dat.
Must the south Africas make every black man go through what dey went through during the apathied?
it just a matter of time, SA will soon loos the trust d black race has in den in. The only this SA have going for them is MODIBA (Nelson Mandela's good will) dey will soon burn off due to undue rivalry and jealousy against d black nations especially Nigeria who stood by dem whne the going was though for dem.
In another 30 I dont have SA in my travel itinerary.
this is very simple, Nigerians should just boycott South Africa. we should all stop travelling there.
People who were at the forefront in the fight against apartheid are not beating their chest about their role,tanzanians,zambians,ugandans and mozambiquens....infact ordinary south Africans know nothing about the role played by Nigeria
You show arrogance in foreign land...and expect to be respected?
All along we have been staying in peace and harmony with our friends from neighboring countries,but since the invasion of our country by some clever people,we have no choice but to hate what is hateable...we respect those who respect themselves and others...finish and klaar
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