Rustenburg - Nigeria does not support crime, Consul General Godwin Adama told the Rustenburg Magistrate's Court, in South Africa's North West province, on Monday.
"We are here to look at what is actually on the ground. As a government representative of the Nigerian government we do not support crime in any form. We do not support any crime in any form and we will discourage it wherever we find it," he said.
"At the same time we believe that when a Nigerian man is involved in any crime there should be the same process that is going on now. Should be arrests, trialled within the process of the law. If that is done we don't have any problem."
He was in Rustenburg during the appearance of 14 Nigerian men accused of public violence.
The men were arrested on January 21, after they allegedly blocked access in and out of the Rustenburg police station, in protest of attacks on Nigerian nationals.
At least eight guest houses suspected to operate as brothels or drug houses were set alight on January 10, when taxi drivers led a "raid" on Nigerians accused them of selling drugs and operate brothels.
The men were denied bail on February 13, when they told the court it was not safe for them to be released on bail.
They were conducting their own defence after their South African lawyer pulled out of the case for safety reasons.
Omoreige Ogboro from Ogboro Attorneys in Pretoria who would represent the men said he wanted to see the content of the docket to see if he could make any representation to the prosecution.
The case was postponed to April 4, for trial at the regional court.
Shops were opened unlike in the previous appearance when shops were closed and people protesting outside court. A handful protested outside the court while others packed the courtroom.