Staff Reporter
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba has come under fire after viral video clips showed him telling a man to “shut up your mouth” during a tense engagement at Sherwood, where thousands of mainly Malawian nationals have gathered while awaiting repatriation or deportation processing.
The clip, which circulated widely on social media, showed Xaba saying: “Hey, I’m talking with the Africans. Shut up your mouth. I’m not talking to you.”
The remarks triggered criticism online and from uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP Visvin Reddy, who said the man Xaba addressed was South African and accused the mayor of using identity politics to avoid accountability.
Xaba’s office has defended him, saying the video clips had been shared without the full context of his visit to Sherwood.
“The Mayor was conducting a scheduled oversight visit to address the prolonged and unlawful occupation of City spaces by foreign nationals,” his office said.
Sherwood has
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