Scooby Nero, the Nigerian national who recorded himself saying he owns RDP homes in Roodepoort and was collecting rent from tenants has apologised, citing he was “trolling” to get more views on Facebook so he could make money.
His apology comes after the Gauteng department of human settlements confirmed to Sowetan that it had initiated an investigation into the allegation.
Nero, in the viral video, boasts about his financial influence and control over the properties, which led to questions about the illegal occupation and rental of state-subsidised housing.
“It’s 6.27am, up and grateful. I am checking up on our small tenant, going to collect rent from all these places. South Africa,” he says in the video as the camera pans to show RDP homes in the background.
However, after receiving backlash, Nero created a video where he apologised, explaining that he never intended it to get out of hand.
“I want to give a big apology to South Africans because I never expected this to blow out of proportion. It was a trolling thing. I troll, people troll me back — it’s been like that for a long time.
“Around last year, between 2025 and September if I remember correctly, I started earning money from Facebook. I noticed people were constantly insulting me. I realised that Facebook encourages engagement, when you reply, you get more traction. So I started replying. But I think I took it too far, and I shouldn’t have done that. That’s not an excuse,” he said.
He said he noticed he went too far when a woman spoke about her mother being on the RDP house list and yet they were taking advantage of the system.
“That’s not true. I was just trolling. I was going to take it further and joke about owning malls and collecting rent from everyone, just like how people send me videos mocking Nigeria.
“So I made that video saying I was in the township and owned the houses, that people were my tenants, and that I was collecting rent. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m really sorry, South Africa. I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” Nero said.
He said he was warned to stop trolling before it was too late, adding that he will do anything to prove his innocence.
“These kinds of posts get engagement. People react strongly, and I was just chasing that. I didn’t think it would get me into serious trouble. I’m really, really sorry. I don’t know what else to say. If there’s anyone I need to report to or submit my documents to, please let me know. I can do that immediately. I have nothing to hide,” Nero said.
Sowetan
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