Latest news with #MayibuyeMandela
The South African
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The South African
Mandela's grandson wants Afrikaner 'refugees' criminally charged
Nelson Mandela's 'great-grandson,' Mayibuye Mandela, has called for authorities to press charges against the two groups of Afrikaner 'refugees' who left South Africa for the US. He's also calling on the Department of Home Affairs to revoke their citizenship. The refugees are part of President Trump's resettlement programme offered to South African minority races who have experienced 'persecution'. In a media statement, Mayibuye Mandela – an outspoken member of the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) party – shared his strong opinions about white Afrikaner South Africans who had taken up refugee status in the US. He said, 'Revoke their citizenship. Strip them of the right to call themselves South African. 'They have betrayed this country, they have lied about our people, they have attempted to spark international hatred toward our nation. They must never again benefit from the privileges of this republic.' Two groups of Afrikaner 'refugees' have resettled in the US. Images via X: @usembassysa Addressing President Trump, he continued: 'If more of them want to leave, do not waste your planes. Provide a ship. Give them space and let them live in peace. South Africa will not beg racists to stay. Let them go and let them stay gone. 'And as they go, we as a nation must act.' On his X account, Mayibuye Mandela clapped back at critics of his comments. He posted: 'This is our country. We will fight for it, protect its dignity, and defend its people no matter the cost.' Who exactly is the outspoken member of the Mandela family? According to his own admission, Mayibuye is not the literal great-grandson of Nelson Mandela, but rather that of the late president's sister Baliwe. However, he told TimesLive: 'Yes, I am the great-grandson of Nelson Mandela, traditionally and in other ways; you can't do anything [about that]. Those discussions are not going to put bread and milk on my table. Mayibuye did, however, admit that he did not have a close relationship with the freedom fighter. He continued: 'We had a family relationship like anyone else. We would go to dinner, go for breakfast, we'd meet him here and there, and he was too old.' Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 .
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Mandela's grandson calls for charges against Afrikaners who have taken up Trump's resettlement offer
Mayibuye Mandela, great-grandson of the legendary Nelson Mandela, has called on the government to pursue legal action against 49 Afrikaners who claimed refugee status in the US. Image: Supplied Mayibuye Melisizwe Mandela, the great-grandson of Nelson Mandela, has called on the South African government take legal action against the more than 49 Afrikaners who have relocated to the US, saying they falsely claimed refugee status while fabricating a narrative of white genocide. In February, US President Donald Trump offered refugee status to Afrikaners, claiming they faced persecution in South Africa. The first batch of more than 49 arrived in the US in May, later followed by a smaller batch. During a meeting at the Oval Office in Washington in May, President Cyril Ramaphosa told Trump that there was no genocide in South Africa, adding that there was a crime and the majority of the victims were Black. Mayibuye Mandela said the claims of a genocide against Afrikaners was false and he called on the government, including the Department of Justice, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), Home Affairs and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to pursue legal action against the group. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Mayibuye Mandela claimed that their actions constitute offences under South Africa's Immigration Act, the Films and Publications Act, the Equality Act and the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act. 'This is not just a matter of misinformation. It is a coordinated effort to destabilise our country and incite international hostility,' he said. Dirco spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said Mandela should open a case, saying the appropriate course for citizens who believe the laws of the country have been contravened is to report concerns to the competent law enforcement authorities. 'These authorities possess the mandate to investigate such reports and ascertain their veracity,' he said. NPA's spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga, said it was not fair to comment while there is no docket opened with the SAPS. Home Affairs spokesperson, Siya Qoza, also declined to comment as it was not clear which Immigration Act clauses have been breached, while Justice Department spokesperson, Terrence Manase, did not comment. Asked if he would open a case, Mayibuye Mandela said he had a discussion with his team and it has been concluded that a case should be opened. He said AfriForum and Solidarity must also be held accountable for their roles in 'orchestrating and promoting this false narrative'. He accused the two organisations of inciting racial division, defaming South Africa's constitutional democracy and 'betraying the principles that generations of South Africans have fought to uphold'. AfriForm said questions should be referred to chief officer, Kallie Kriel, who did not respond. Solidarity's head of public Liaison, Jaco Kleynhans, said the organisation views these allegations as 'completely unfounded and just another attempt to shift the focus away from South Africa's huge problems'. Kleynhans said Solidarity had never claimed that a genocide is taking place in South Africa but has long been providing evidence of serious cultural and economic oppression of minorities in the country. He said this amounts to a 'general cultural persecution that is beginning to take on dangerous levels and could lead to life-threatening threats in the future'. 'The US government has every right to grant refugee status to citizens of another country that it considers to be experiencing serious oppression or persecution." "Instead of attacking these people or the organisations they represent, we need to have a serious conversation in South Africa about the extent of absolute racial discrimination against minorities, the levels of violent crime that are occurring in our country, and what is needed to address these and other problems. He said Solidarity is in constant contact with the Trump administration. "We will not allow what is happening in South Africa to be swept under the rug or for defamatory allegations to be made about our position on important issues,' he said. Both AfriForum and Solidarity face a government investigation of treason, after allegations that they supplied false and damaging information to the US government regarding the treatment of white farmers. Minister in Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavehini, confirmed the investigation during a parliamentary session last month, warning that treasonous acts cannot be left unpunished. This follows calls from several political parties, including the EFF and MK Party, for the government to act against the two organisations following their visit to the US, where they engaged with Trump's administration.
