UBUNTU is not a slogan reserved for ceremony — it is a daily obligation, owed first by those we have entrusted to lead us.
I AM AFRICAN. I was born on this continent, I have lived my life on it, and no office, no title, and no momentary outburst from an elected official gives anyone the standing to tell me, or any other South African, otherwise. It is in that spirit that I write, not as a politician, but as a child of this village who believes some things are worth saying plainly.
According to reports, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, while addressing a crowd gathered amid the ongoing refugee and repatriation situation at Sherwood Park, was interrupted by civil society activist Yeshelen Govender.
Visibly raising his voice, Xaba said: “Hey, I am talking with the Africans. Shut up your mouth. I am not talking to you,” before telling him to “get out” and stating, “You are not an African.”
He then instructed police in attendance to remove him. Govender, as has now been confirmed, is South African.
