The leader of the EFF in Mpumalanga, Collen Sedibe, has refuted claims that he contradicted the party’s stance by questioning the South African citizenship of community safety, security, and liaison MEC Jackie Macie.
Some people have characterized this controversy as xenophobic.
The issue arose in the Mpumalanga provincial legislature, where Sedibe challenged Macie to prove his legitimacy as a South African citizen.
Sedibe insinuated that Macie might not possess a legal identity document or a valid matriculation certificate.
His remarks prompted a strong response from the ANC in the Ehlanzeni region.
The party defended Macie and condemned the EFF for what it termed irrelevant and unsubstantiated allegations.
“Seemingly, whenever they’re running out of ideas, the EFF just shoots randomly,” Ehlanzeni regional secretary Folas Sibuyi told Sunday World.
“We’re currently busy with by-elections in Nkomazi, and they’re nowhere to be found. In other words, they’re not visible, but they’ll always have the guts to attack the leadership of the ANC from an ill-informed position.”
Remarks damaging to Macie’s dignity
Macie, who also serves as the ANC’s regional chairperson, was not immediately available for comment.
However, the ANC’s regional structure issued a statement on his behalf strongly criticising Sedibe’s comments.
“The EFF wrongfully advances two false allegations that comrade Jackie Macie has not written and passed matric and, secondly, that he is a Mozambican national,” reads the statement.
“The claims that comrade Jackie Macie is not a South African are false and damaging to his dignity, something the REC [regional executive committee] will look into and advise accordingly.”
The ANC further clarified that Macie’s mother, Celinah Mashaba, is from Giyani in Limpopo, noting that this automatically confers South African citizenship on him.
The statement detailed that Macie was born on March 17, 1976, at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto and grew up in Dobsonville, also in Soweto.
“The first thing we all acquire upon birth is citizenship. Citizenship provides each one of us with pride and a sense of belonging, and it is a gateway upon which each citizen can exercise and enjoy all rights entrenched in the Bill of Rights.”
Born and raised in Soweto
The ANC also highlighted that Macie’s family, including his father Samuel Macie, who is reportedly of Mozambican descent, relocated from Dobsonville to Mpumalanga in the early 1980s, settling in the Dludluma village in Nkomazi.
The ANC added that Macie completed his primary school education at Mbombo Primary School and matriculated from Mjokwane Secondary School.
“Section 106[1] of the constitution of the Republic provides succinct requirements for eligibility to qualify for membership of a provincial legislature,” the ANC said.
“The EFF has wilfully added their own imaginary requirement for qualification as a member of a provincial legislature.”
Sedibe’s remarks appear to depart from Julius Malema, the party’s leader, national stance.
Recently, Malema faced criticism from some South Africans after defending former Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina, who withdrew from the pageant amid allegations of identity document fraud involving her mother.
“Your citizenship is determined by where you were born. So, if she was born here, she is South African. It doesn’t matter. She is not her parents,” Malema said on the EFF podcast.
“She is herself. So why do you say she’s from Nigeria or she’s from Mozambique? She was born here. We cannot punish people on the basis of where their parents come from.”
Sibuyi criticised Sedibe’s approach, suggesting that it was an example of “petty politics and unsubstantiated claims”.
“We are encouraged during such moments by the wise words of Amilcar Cabral when he fittingly warned about those who claim easy victories by telling lies each time they are hung over,” Sibuyi remarked.
Certificate of naturalisation
In response, Sedibe denied that his comments were aimed at disparaging Macie’s origins.
“The issue here was not about his country of origin, as the EFF is not against any foreign nationals, as long as they are here legally and are documented,” said Sedibe.
“The issue was about the certificate of naturalisation, which allows foreign-born people to be permanent citizens of the country.
“As the EFF, we believe in Pan-Africanism and the United States of Africa with one president, one currency, and one army.”
