eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba has hit back at allegations that his remarks were racist during a heated altercation at a park in Durban, where thousands of migrants have been awaiting repatriation.
This follows a social media post and statement by uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP Visvin Reddy, who criticised Xaba for shutting down a man at the park who attempted to speak to him.
Xaba responded to the man by saying: "I am not speaking to you. I am speaking to the Africans.
"However, Xaba's spokesperson, Mlu Mtungwa, has rejected Reddy's criticism.
"The person was not South African. He was a foreign national who kept interjecting while the mayor was speaking. He was very disruptive and would not allow the mayor to speak. The mayor represents all South Africans in eThekwini and does not differentiate between South Africans based on race, colour or faith. As South Africans, we are one and should not allow others to divide us," Mtungwa told IOL.
