30 January 2021
The ANC Parliamentary Caucus has noted with grave concern the social media storm generated by the routine filling in of a vacancy in its 2019 national to national candidates list.
Drawing inspiration from the heroic struggles of our people Caucus recalls, when the people of South Africa met on the 25th and 26th June 1955 in Kliptown; united in their diversity at the People’s Congress they represented a crucial historical moment in establishing a new order based on the will of the people that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. This is where the Freedom Charter emerged.
In one of its clauses, the Freedom Charter declared that “All National Groups shall have equal rights and that they shall be protected by law against insults to their race and national pride and that the preaching and practice of national, race or colour discrimination and contempt shall be punishable by law and that all apartheid laws and practices shall be set aside.
That famous document adopted in Kliptown more than sixty – five years ago (65 years) formed the basis of our own Constitution whose founding provisions amongst others include human dignity, non – racialism and non – sexism.
It was this commitment to our long held bedrock principle on non – racialism and non – sexism that saw Comrade Xiaomei Harvard elected to our National Assembly as a member of our Parliamentary Caucus
On Xiaomei Havard
Comrade Havard has lived in South Africa since 1994 and subsequently married her partner who is a South African citizen thus qualifying for citizenship as per our domestic laws. Later she joined the ANC which she has always supported from childhood through the Chinese political structures and has been active in her ANC branch in Johannesburg for more than 15 years.
In May 2019, she stood for elections on an ANC ticket having gone through a National List Process and emerged as candidate 130 on the ANC National List as verified by the Independent Electoral Commission. Her party, the African National Congress included her name in the national list and her appointment meets Constitutional muster and is allowed.
Following the death of five of its members in the National Assembly the ANC replenished its list and together with four other members she was sworn in as a new member of the National Assembly on the 27th January 2021.
It is also important to recall that the South African National Assembly has had Members of Parliament of different origins who had been naturalized in our system who were not South African by birth, including the former Minister of Housing the late Comrade Joe Slovo.
In its own party leadership the ANC has an illustrious list of comrades such as its late President General Chief Albert Luthuli and the late Treasurer – General Thomas Nkobi who led the Movement with distinction.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
She is a trained ICT professional; a computer scientist, business woman and a philanthropist with a PhD.
Caucus also recalls this year 2021 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by consensus at 2001 World Conference against Racism ( WCAR) condemning all forms of racism, racial discrimination , xenophobia and related intolerances.
Now is not the time to backtrack against this commitment to this bedrock principle of non – racialism.
The forthcoming ANC National General Council is another ANC platform where issues pertaining to the National question will be addressed.
For now the ANC Parliamentary Caucus has urgent tasks to deal with the scourge of the pandemic that is ravaging our communities including Gender based violence.
Our Constituency offices have urgent tasks of ensuring that the Back to School Campaign runs seamlessly through assisting our communities and these are the tasks we will focus on in the short to medium term.
The speedy and comprehensive elimination of all forms of racism and discrimination is a historic mission that we cannot shy from.
Issued by the Office of the Chief Whip, Comrade Pemmy Majodina
For more information contact Acting Caucus Spokesperson :
Nomfanelo Kota on 067 415 1089
Email: n.kota@parliament.gov.za