Xiaomei Havard: Chinese-born MP ‘replacing Mthembu’ causes conflict

Following a 17-year political career in South Africa, Dr. Xiaomei Havard has been chosen to serve as an MP in Parliament. She replaces the late Jackson Mthembu, who passed away last week. Despite the doctor’s wealth of experience, Havard has also been embroiled in scandal before – and her Chinese background has drawn some uncomfortable reactions.

Vuyo Zungula is the leader of the African Transformation Movement – and he has been vehement in his opposition:

“If a black person born in China can never be a member of the Chinese Parliament… Why does SA allow a Chinese-born person to be a member of the SA Parliament, and make laws for South Africans?”

“The Chinese protects the economy for its people, and has an expansion program for its industries across the world. With so many China malls/towns in South Africa and around the world, how many African malls or towns are there in China?”

Party colleague and former ANC supremo Mzwanele Manyi echoed these sentiments. Trends such as ‘#NoChineseInSAParliament’ and #SARejectsXiaomeiHavard’ have dominated Twitter on Thursday morning, as those rallying against the new MP deny accusations of xenophobia. For Manyi, he believes there’s a ‘weakness’ in the system:

“There’s a weakness in the South African Constitution. No naturalised foreigner should qualify to be a public representative. Only native South Africans should qualify.”