Lifestyle

Why my people hate Nigerians — South African beauty queen, Ntashabele

Published

6 months ago

February 21, 2026

South African model and beauty queen, Phumzile Ntashabele, tells BIODUN BUSARI about the circumstances surrounding the murder of a 22-year-old Nigerian e-hailing driver, Isaac Satlat, in South Africa and the struggle to get justice for him

Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Phumzile Grace Nsabele. I’m a widow and a mother of two. I’m a model, an international queen with a master’s in business administration. I’m a motivational speaker and an author. I’m Mrs Global Universe South Africa 2025, who is always standing for justice.

Who was Isaac Satlat to you?

He was my son’s friend. My son is Kagiso. I’m like a godmother to him. Isaac was one of my son’s friends, so I take all of them as my boys. Contrary to what many think, I’m not his biological mother. I liked him because he was my son’s best friend.

So, they grew up under me. I went with them everywhere that had to do with modelling, though I stayed in Johannesburg, while they stayed in Pretoria. There were like 10 of them, because I helped them in modelling; all of them, including Ugandans and other nationalities.

I met Isaac in 2024. We met at Soweto Fashion Week. He accompanied his friends, who were models. I saw him as they were taking pictures with his other model friend, Emmanuel.

I told him that he could be a model too, and he said, ‘Mummy, I’m short.’ I encouraged him that his height didn’t matter because he was confident. He appreciated me, and that was how we knew each other and got along.

How would you describe him?

He was a young man who was full of life. He had a promising future. He was a 22-year-old young man. Isaac was studying Mechanical Engineering at Divine Favour Progressive College. He was due to graduate next month. His next birthday would be on March 12.

He was going to be 23 next month. Isaac was a loving and jolly boy. He was a champion to all his friends. He was respectful everywhere.

He attended schools from primary to tertiary level in South Africa and was leading a church. He was a God-fearing child, and he was just awesome.

What do you know about his parents?

His father is a Nigerian. He lives in South Africa. Isaac was staying with his dad because he raised him. His mother and two sisters are in Nigeria. There is another man, Mr Solomon; he’s a family member and their spokesperson. We’ve been working together to get justice for him.

Where was Isaac before he received a message that led to his death?

He was with his friends, including my son, because they stayed together. He came back from work, then went into the gym. After the gym, that was when he got a notification to go and pick somebody for his e-hailing business.

His friends even asked him when he would be back and he told them that it was a short trip and that he would be back in 15 minutes. That was the last time his friends saw him.

You said he came back from work; did he have another job?

He was an intern. He was working as an intern at St. Julian. That’s where he was studying. He was not a full-time Uber driver. He was doing Uber only part-time and was also a model.

Was there any time he was attacked by criminals before the one that took his life?

No, I don’t think there was any record of such. These killers just acted like normal people and requested any Uber driver who was available.

He picked up the call and went to attend to them. So, he wouldn’t know they were criminals; he just got a notification from his place to the other place. It was a very short distance.

Do you think it was one of the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians?

It was not a xenophobic crime. It was not Nigeria versus South Africa. It was just a crime that happened here in South Africa; it’s happening to people in many places, especially in Cape Town and Durban.

It’s been happening a lot. Apparently, this was the first time in Pretoria. Even the way they killed him was just so uncalled for.

Are you saying this was the first time a Nigerian would be killed in Pretoria?

Not only a Nigerian, but this was also the first time anyone that I know in the e-hailing business was killed. They’ve been robbing Uber drivers, but it was the first time in Pretoria where an Uber driver was killed.

Remember, nobody knew that Isaac was a Nigerian. I don’t think they targeted him because he was Nigerian. Nobody knew that he was Nigerian. They just wanted an e-hailing driver. They requested one, and it was so unfortunate that it was Isaac.

The sad part was that they did not even take anything, not even his phone. They only took his life. They found the phone near his wallet and his passport; everything was in the car.

Apart from this incident, why do you think Nigerians in South Africa are being killed by South Africans?

The truth is that a lot of Nigerians in South Africa are drug dealers. That’s what the South Africans are fighting against. They say that Nigerians sell drugs to their children. They are angry that Nigerians are destroying their children.

Many South Africans hate Nigerians because of drug dealing in South Africa. Meanwhile, it is not all Nigerians who are criminals. As a South African, I’ve been friends with Nigerians for the past 25 years.

My late husband was Ugandan. My whole life, I’ve been surrounded by foreigners, and they’ve been good friends to me. There was not even one Nigerian who ever disrespected me or did me any harm or wrong. They are my family.

That’s why most Nigerians are my family. It was the reason I liked Isaac. It is the reason I want justice for him. He was such a good young man. He was hardworking and focused.

Even with what I was doing for him and his family, my own South African people have called me names on social media. I’m told to leave South Africa because I am siding with drug dealers and drug lords.

The problem with South Africans is that they think all foreigners are criminals in South Africa. I tell my people that the Nigerians I see around me are hardworking. They are specialists and professionals like doctors, filmmakers, and brilliant people. They have legitimate businesses.

So, that’s why I cannot relate to my fellow South Africans when they are painting all Nigerians as drug dealers. I always tell them that drugs were in South Africa even before Nigerians arrived here. South Africans are just using Nigerians as scapegoats.

Do you think South Africans hate Nigerians because they are successful in their country?

Not all Nigerians are doing bad things in South Africa. The same applies to South Africans. We have rapists who are South Africans. We have murderers, just like those who killed Isaac. But there are good people, too.

I’m South African, and we have many good people like me. I used to say that if we blame foreigners for our problems and pursue them, South Africans will still have internal problems. It will start as racial grudges. It will be white and black.

After that, it is going to be tribal. It would be, ‘This one is Ndebele, and this one is Zulu’. We are always having something to fight about. It’s not foreigners. It’s not Nigerians. We, as South Africans, have our issues to deal with. I think it is self-hate or something like that.

But when we talk and when we side with foreigners, we are told that we are sleeping with Nigerians or foreigners. They will say we must leave the country. I’m taking all the insults. But I know that I’m an African queen. I am the queen that I am today because of foreigners.

It was when I represented South Africa as Mrs Universe South Africa that I won Mrs Worldwide South Africa. I represented South Africa in Singapore. The people who were with us were Nigerians. There were white people also; there were Congolese. So, I became the queen that I am because of foreigners.

When I reached Singapore, I did not represent South Africa. I represented all Africans, and they supported me. That’s why I support Africa in all the things I do. There are just these little people who are hurt. They are painting all Nigerians with the same brush.

How are the South African authorities treating the case?

Initially, a 25-year-old lady handed herself over to the police. Then, two other guys were arrested and there was a court case yesterday (Monday, February 16). It was adjourned till Monday, February 23, when they are going to appear again in the Pretoria Court.

The fourth suspect handed himself over yesterday. So, he appeared in court today (Tuesday, February 17). So, we have suspects. They are in the age group of 25 to 30.

In what ways have you sought justice for Isaac?

I posted Isaac’s pictures as seen in the video because if it were not for that video that was circulating on social media, we would not have been able to arrest these guys.

It was through this video that we managed to get this girl to hand herself in. People already saw who she was. That’s why she handed herself in. We are still circulating all the pictures and asking people to support.

We are asking Africans who are in South Africa to support, because this concerns all nations. It’s not only South Africans and Nigerians.

We are pleading with all Africans who are here to support us to get justice for Isaac. We are also pleading for financial assistance to take Isaac back home. There’s already a link where the connection has been made. We’ve been sharing that.

We designed something where people can make payments to help the father and Isaac go back home.

What kind of justice do you have in mind from the court?

First of all, they don’t deserve bail, which they were not granted. They are criminals. They deserve life imprisonment.

Unfortunately, in South Africa, there’s no death penalty. But if it were any other country, they would deserve the death penalty. Since there is no death penalty in South Africa, I think it should be life imprisonment. They do not deserve parole.

How can you be a woman and do this? If you see the video, Isaac fought for his life. He wanted to get out of the car. But for that woman to even hold his legs until his last breath, she is wicked.

Mind you, she didn’t even show any remorse, even yesterday in court. There was another guy among them who was smiling. They were not remorseful. That’s why their place shouldn’t be in society.

punch.ng

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Lifestyle

Catholic bishops’ inconvenient truth

Published

2 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Politics and religion often conflate into a toxic brew. So, it is with the storm over John Onaiyekan’s comments after the recent meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. As the waves billow and swell, the encounter opens a window into the tremors in government rather than the cardinal’s intentions.

Instead of treating the bishops’ observations as sincere moral feedback from a respected institution, some of the administration’s vocal defenders responded with personal attacks, accusing the cardinal of partisanship and abuse of clerical privilege.

That reaction was unfortunate and avoidable.

No elected government claiming democratic credentials should treat independent criticism as hostility.

Yet the ferocious responses from the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike; the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala; and the SSA on Media, Temitope Ajayi, suggested Onaiyekan had committed a grave offence by saying the bishops told the President Nigeria was “bleeding,” that poverty was worsening, and many were struggling under economic reforms.

The cardinal’s fault was not fabricating facts but speaking publicly about an uncomfortable conversation.

He said the President disagreed, insisting the economy was improving and reforms were laying the foundation for recovery.

The bishops, he said, neither expected agreement nor sought to embarrass the President; they were discharging a moral duty to tell him what many Nigerians could not.

That should have ended the matter. Instead, critics turned a healthy exchange into a public quarrel. Bwala questioned the cardinal’s neutrality, alleging the church supported Peter Obi in 2023.

Ajayi dismissed the bishops as offering only one perspective. Wike argued that having taken sides in a past election disqualified the cardinal from impartiality and faulted the bishops for questioning INEC’s neutrality ahead of 2027 without stronger proof.

These points merit consideration. Religious leaders, like journalists and civil society actors, should aim for fairness as credibility rests on intellectual honesty. Achievements by government should be acknowledged. But fairness works both ways.

The administration’s defenders owe Nigerians an honest engagement with the bishops’ substance rather than attempts to discredit the messengers.

Who the cardinal voted for is irrelevant to whether millions of Nigerians are suffering. Hunger and inflation do not check party membership before striking families.

One of the weakest responses to public criticism is to attack motives while avoiding the issues raised. That strategy failed to convince many Nigerians. Therefore, it is no surprise that support for Onaiyekan flowed from across civic space.

The Northern Youth Council said he reflected lived realities; the Middle Belt Forum called the attacks unfair; the Catholic Laity Council defended the church’s pastoral duty to speak for the vulnerable.

Former governor and minister Rotimi Amaechi, himself a Catholic, reminded the Presidency that bishops have every right to criticise governments and urged responses based on evidence, not indignation.

Even Orji Kalu, APC senator and former Abia State governor, threatened to resign from the party if the bishops were insulted, noting their similar interventions across Africa.

The public backlash appears to have prompted moderation. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, reaffirmed the administration’s respect for the Catholic Church and promised deeper consultations.

That is the mature response expected of a confident government, and it should have been the first instinct.

The episode exposes a deeper problem.

With the 2027 elections on the horizon, there is a growing tendency in official circles to interpret every criticism through a partisan lens.

Independent institutions that refuse to sing from the government’s hymn book risk being branded hostile. Such defensiveness serves neither democracy nor good governance.

Onaiyekan’s sharper point was that too many people around the President paint an overly rosy picture of the country. Whether entirely fair, the observation highlights a real danger that administrations insulated by courtiers and loyalists risk mistaking praise for patriotism.

Presidents need more than briefings, official statistics and flattering presentations. They need uncomfortable truths from independent voices including economists, labour unions, journalists, business leaders, traditional rulers and religious organisations.

Governments that refuse to listen lose touch with the people they govern. That is why criticism is not the enemy of reform; silence is.

The Tinubu administration can rightly argue it inherited an economy in deep distress and that difficult choices were necessary. Removing the petrol subsidy and liberalising the foreign exchange market were politically costly but, many economists agree, economically inevitable.

The government has expanded fiscal space for states, created NELFUND, launched youth initiatives, and helped end the destructive cycle of prolonged ASUU strikes. These are notable achievements and deserve acknowledgement.

But governments are judged by citizens’ lived realities, not only by economic theory or improving macro indicators.

Foreign reserves have strengthened to $52 billion from about $3 billion, fiscal revenues rose to all-time highs, and the naira exchange rate has stabilised compared with the immediate post-reform shock.

Yet these gains have not delivered meaningful relief for the average Nigerian. Inflation remains punishing at over 15 per cent and above 37 per cent in at least 10 states; food and transport costs are soaring; healthcare and medication are costly; electricity tariffs and rent have escalated; small businesses struggle with high energy costs and expensive credit.

For too many families, over 70 per cent of income is spent on feeding alone. Multidimensional poverty affects 63 per cent of Nigerians, per the World Bank.

The bishops sought to communicate that reality. It cannot be dismissed by citing encouraging macro trends.

The reforms are also incomplete. A parallel foreign-exchange market persists, reflecting distortions and weak confidence.

Oil production remains below projections. Domestic refiners complain of inadequate crude supply even as the government extends Project Gazelle with a new $4.5 billion refinancing, raising concerns about future crude commitments while local refining capacity is planned to double.

External debt keeps rising, increasing exchange-rate exposure and debt-service obligations, which already consume half of revenues.

Terrorism, banditry and kidnapping continue to terrorise large swathes of the country, driving farmers from fertile lands and worsening food inflation.

Official and independent reports indicate that more than 628,000 people have been killed and over 2.2 million abducted since 2023, according to a BusinessDay report in June.

These are measurable national realities, not opposition talking points. Governments need independent voices to speak honestly about them. No pushback can erase the fact that Nigeria is bleeding.

The Catholic Church has a long history of such moral witness. During military rule, bishops such as Olubunmi Okogie, an Emeritus Cardinal, condemned authoritarianism, corruption and human-rights abuses.

Under democratic governments, the church continued to criticise administrations across the political spectrum over insecurity, governance failures and human suffering. Its loyalty has been to moral principles, not to any party.

Tinubu should not regard himself as uniquely persecuted, nor should his supporters mistake clerical witness for partisan politics.

Religious leaders are, firstly, citizens. They bury terrorism victims, counsel unemployed graduates, comfort widows and feed hungry families. If such leaders cannot speak about poverty, insecurity and governance, democracy becomes a farce.

Political parties are also inconsistent. Many who now defend petrol subsidy removal opposed it when it was proposed under President Goodluck Jonathan. Those who benefited from the freedom to criticise must not deny others the same liberty when roles reverse.

One of the most perilous governance tendencies is believing that criticism weakens government. On the contrary, governments make worse mistakes when they become prisoners of official optimism.

They need independent feedback to test whether policies yield intended outcomes. Economic models and official reports are necessary but insufficient; they must be complemented by honest input from labour, business, academia, the media, civil society and faith leaders. Without it, governments risk governing statistical abstractions rather than human realities.

It is encouraging that the administration now appears to be recalibrating. Akume’s pledge of deeper engagement deserves commendation.

Consultation, not confrontation, marks mature democratic leadership. The Presidency gains nothing by quarrelling with institutions focused on the country’s welfare.

Tinubu has often said he welcomes constructive criticism. He insisted that he sought the job and should not be pitied. This episode is a chance to prove it.

Labelling respected clerics as partisan for voicing uncomfortable truths suggests the administration may lack confidence in the transformative power of its own reforms. That is diminishing.

Nigeria’s problems are too serious for official defensiveness. Reform is a journey requiring constant feedback. The bishops fulfilled their civic and moral duty. The Presidency must perform its constitutional role by listening, not by silencing dissent.

Source: punchng.com

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Lifestyle

LACK OF TRUST IN MARRIAGE

Published

16 hours ago

August 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A marriage can survive difficult times, financial struggles, and disagreements—but when trust disappears, the relationship begins to lose its foundation.

When a husband no longer trusts his wife, or a wife no longer trusts her husband, even innocent actions can become suspicious. A simple phone call becomes a question. Coming home late becomes an accusation. A private conversation becomes a source of fear and jealousy.

Lack of trust creates emotional distance.

It produces constant suspicion, arguments, insecurity, resentment, and sometimes secretive behaviour. Instead of feeling safe with each other, couples begin to feel like enemies living under the same roof.

Trust is not built by controlling your spouse, checking their phone every minute, or constantly demanding explanations. Trust is built through honesty, faithfulness, transparency, consistency, and keeping your word.

If trust has been broken, don’t pretend everything is fine. Talk about it. Admit mistakes. Forgive where possible. Set healthy boundaries. And be willing to rebuild what has been damaged.

Remember: love may bring two people together, but trust helps keep them together.

💔 Don’t allow suspicion to destroy what communication and honesty can repair.

BUILD TRUST. BE FAITHFUL. BE HONEST. PROTECT YOUR MARRIAGE.

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour.”
— Ephesians 4:25 (KJV)

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Lifestyle

LACK OF OPENNESS IN MARRIAGE

Published

17 hours ago

August 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A marriage can look beautiful on the outside and still be struggling on the inside when there is no openness between husband and wife.

When couples stop communicating honestly, keep secrets, hide their feelings, or are afraid to discuss important issues, emotional distance begins to grow. What starts as “I don’t want to cause a problem” can eventually become mistrust, resentment, loneliness, and constant misunderstanding.

Openness does not mean telling your spouse everything in a hurtful or careless way. It means creating a safe relationship where both partners can honestly talk about their feelings, concerns, mistakes, finances, expectations, struggles, and dreams without fear of unnecessary humiliation or condemnation.

A strong marriage requires:

• Honest communication — Talk about problems instead of allowing them to grow in silence.
• Trust and transparency — Avoid unnecessary secrecy that can damage confidence in the relationship.
• Active listening — Listen to understand, not simply to respond or attack.
• Emotional vulnerability — Let your spouse know when you are hurting, worried, disappointed, or afraid.
• Respect — Honesty should never become an excuse for insults, threats, or emotional abuse.
• Forgiveness — When mistakes are acknowledged, work together toward healing and restoration.

The Bible says:

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” — Proverbs 11:14 (KJV)

And:

“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” — James 1:19 (KJV)

Marriage should be a place where two people can feel safe enough to communicate, honest enough to admit their weaknesses, and humble enough to work through their differences.

Don’t allow silence, secrets, and suspicion to build walls between you and your spouse. Talk. Listen. Understand. Forgive. Grow together.

❤️ Openness builds trust. Trust strengthens intimacy. And healthy communication helps build a stronger marriage.

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