Niko Nikitidis paces the stone floors of his popular Greek family-owned restaurant, Parea, in Illovo, Johannesburg. It has been a nerve-racking week for the Nikitidis family and South African Greeks, who are keeping tabs on the crisis in their home country. Nikitidis, a Greek national, draws a monthly state pension of about 480 euros (about R6500) from Greece, but cannot access the money after the Greek government closed banks and imposed strict capital controls to avert a run on the banks.Those back home have endured a tough week as cash withdrawals were rationed and many were unable to pay bills.Nikitidis, 68, has been in South Africa for 45 years.story_article_left1He is one of many pensioners who benefit from the generous public pensions that are one of the strains on Greece's coffers.Creditors want these pensions curtailed and are pushing for a programme of tax hikes and other spending cuts.Fortunately for Nikitidis, the family restaurant provides an income. "I'm not cross because I know my country has a problem, but I'm worried for my brother and family [still living in Greece]," he said this week.Nikitidis, a first-generation Greek immigrant to South Africa, was initially dispatched here by his government in a jobs programme. He later built a livelihood as a mechanic before establishing a supermarket and his thriving restaurant, which attracts government ministers among its high-profile patrons who come for the traditional Greek cuisine.Until last year, Nikitidis, a former military official in the Greek army, was contributing monthly towards the pension fund back in Greece - not uncommon for Greeks in the diaspora who expect a more handsome payout when the stronger euro is converted into local currency.Mia, his 62-year-old wife, was born in South Africa to Greek immigrant parents but still has extended family in Greece.She said the broadcasts of queues of pensioners waiting to receive their rationed pensions left her in tears.story_article_right2"Everyone is frightened. We don't know what tomorrow holds. We're worried that if Greece votes 'No' we are going to go into a state [of hardship] similar to after World War 2," Mia said.Conversely, a "Yes" vote in today' s referendum may expose Greeks to punishing taxes."It's the middleman and [those] under that get hurt. The wealthy ones escape," she said.The Nikitidis family frets about being unable to assist relatives in Greece because of the restrictions on banks.Mia said many older Greeks who left South Africa in the past few years were now returning."Things got very difficult there. No one forgets. They say once you've tasted the water in South Africa you can never forget it. All the elderly people that have left have now come back."Basil Markatselis, 81, who lives in Alberton, south of Johannesburg, immigrated to South Africa in 1962. He still has extended family in Greece.Markatselis said that because of the stronger euro against the rand few people could afford to send money to Greece. "[Greek people in South Africa] are interested in what is happening in Greece ... but we live here and people don't send money any more."He said the Greeks had been squeezed excessively by the EU, and a lot of people were hurting as a result.full_story_image_hleft1Harry Gouvelis, former president of the Federation of the Hellenic Communities of South Africa, said the crisis had polarised Greeks in the diaspora, particularly over whether Greece could forego eurozone membership."Many people say Argentina did it [defaulted], why can't we go off? The sentiment is very much divided. The cleavages are becoming bad. I hope they don't become unbridgeable."Anna Getsos, chairwoman of the Hellenic Community of Alberton who has cousins living on Crete, said: "It would be detrimental for Greece to leave the euro. They should vote 'Yes' for the austerity measures. People are struggling. It's terrible."Getsos said it was "disgraceful what the EU is doing to Greece. There should be more negotiations. They should not take such a heavy stance against Greece."..