Xiaomei Havard Explained

Xiaomei Havard
Office:Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Term Start:27 January 2021
Predecessor:Jackson Mthembu
Birth Place:Henan, China
Nationality:South African
Party:African National Congress
Residence:Cape Town
Education:University of Johannesburg (PhD)
Alma Mater:University of Johannesburg
Occupation:Member of Parliament

Xiaomei Havard [1] is a Chinese-born South African businesswoman and politician from Gauteng who currently serves as a Member of Parliament for the African National Congress.

Early life and education

Havard is from Henan, China.[2] She moved to Gauteng to study and later became a naturalized citizen. She holds a doctorate in computer science from the University of Johannesburg and a master's degree in electrical engineering from a Chinese university.[3] She is married to a South African.

Political career

Havard joined the African National Congress in 2004. Havard is also the honourable president of the Africa Federation of Chinese Women in Commerce and Industry and the co-president of the South Africa-China Famous Female Business Council.

In May 2019, she stood for election to the South African National Assembly as 130th on the ANC's national list.[4] Due to the ANC's electoral performance, she did not win a seat in parliament. It was later revealed that she was one of 23 MP candidates that the ANC's integrity committee wanted to remove from the party's lists because of "corruption, mismanagement, and other acts of misconduct."[5]

Parliament

Following the death of the Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, on 21 January 2021, the ANC selected Havard to fill his seat in the National Assembly. She was sworn in on 27 January.[6] [7] After her swearing-in, xenophobic hashtags trended on Twitter.[8] Havard serves on the Portfolio Committee on Health.[9]

On 3 September 2021, she directed her first parliamentary question to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking him about the slow vaccination rate and what the government was doing to put an end to vaccination fears and encourage citizens to vaccinate.[10]

Allegations of espionage

She has been a member of and held leadership positions in multiple Chinese business and BRICS forums affiliated with the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).[11] [12]

In September 2021, it was reported that a leaked counter-intelligence report, prepared by the State Security Agency, judged with "high likelihood" that Havard has been sharing classified information with the CCP.[13] Both Xiaomei and Zizi Kodwa, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for State Security, denied the reports.[14] The Chief Whip of the ANC, Pemmy Majodina, said that her office does not receive intelligence reports and so could not comment further.[15] The Democratic Alliance demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa should publish the report. A commentary in the Daily Maverick questioned the reports, because "if Xiaomei Havard has indeed been sent into the ANC parliamentary caucus to spy for the Chinese government, she seems a very silly choice" due to her lack of connections with other MPs and poor English.[16]

Notes and References

  1. News: 向前一大步！南非出现首位新侨华裔国会议员_张晓梅 . 6 June 2024 . www.sohu.com . 27 January 2021 . zh.
  2. News: Ringo the changes: muso joins surprising list of new MPLs . 27 January 2021 . Sunday Times Daily . 17 May 2019 . 1 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210201235222/https://select.timeslive.co.za/news/2019-05-17-ringo-the-changes-muso-joins-surprising-lost-of-new-mpls/ . live .
  3. Web site: 2021-01-28. Dr. Xiaomei Havard Biography New ANC Member of Parliament. 2021-01-28. MzansiNewsLive. en-US. 2021-01-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128084911/https://mzansinewslive.co.za/wp/dr-xiaomei-havard-biography-new-anc-member-of-parliament/. live.
  4. Web site: ANC national and provincial lists for 2019 elections . Politicsweb . 27 January 2021 . 23 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190323062858/http://politicsweb.co.za/documents/anc-national-and-provincial-lists-for-2019-electio . live .
  5. News: Karrim . Azarrah . Madia . Tshidi . REVEALED: The 23 people red-flagged by the ANC's integrity body . 27 January 2021 . News24 . 29 May 2019 . 28 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210128035649/https://www.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/revealed-the-23-people-red-flagged-by-the-ancs-integrity-body-20190529 . live .
  6. News: Mavuso . Sihle . ANC announces Jackson Mthembu's replacement in the National Assembly . 27 January 2021 . Independent Online . 27 January 2021 . 27 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210127181120/https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-announces-jackson-mthembus-replacement-in-the-national-assembly-321a2fb5-3841-48b6-a7f3-7d0bf6f95f53 . live .
  7. News: Deklerk . Aphiwe . ANC appoints replacement for Jackson Mthembu and four other MPs who died . 27 January 2021 . TimesLIVE . 27 January 2021 . 27 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210127162941/https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2021-01-27-anc-appoints-replacement-for-jackson-mthembu-and-four-other-mps-who-died/ . live .
  8. News: Gerber. Jan. 28 January 2021. Xenophobic hashtags trend on Twitter after ANC MP of Chinese heritage sworn in. News24. live. 28 January 2021. 28 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128175124/https://www.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/xenophobic-hashtags-trend-on-twitter-after-anc-mp-of-chinese-heritage-sworn-in-20210128.
  9. Web site: Health PMG. 2021-09-04. pmg.org.za. en.
  10. Web site: 2021-09-03. ANC's Chinese MP asks first parliamentary question days after spy accusations. 2021-09-04. The Citizen. en.
  11. Web site: Chansoria. Monika. 2021-02-05. China Installs Influence Operators in Diplomatic Posts, Foreign Lawmaking Bodies. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210205045126/https://japan-forward.com/china-installs-influence-operators-in-diplomatic-posts-foreign-lawmaking-bodies/. 2021-02-05. 2021-02-06. Japan Forward. en-US.
  12. News: Dunning. Sam. Khoza. Amanda. July 6, 2021. ANC funder-turned-MP and her 'links' to shadowy Chinese agency. Sunday Times. July 6, 2021. July 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210706022618/https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/news/2021-07-05-investigation--anc-funder-turned-mp-and-her-links-to-shadowy-chinese-agency/. live.
  13. News: Felix. Jason. SSA report finds ‘high likelihood’ ANC MP Xiaomei Havard is spying for China. News24. 1 September 2021. 1 September 2021.
  14. News: Masweneng. Kgaugelo. 1 September 2021. 'I am not a spy': ANC MP Xiaomei Havard on China 'spy report'. TimesLIVE.
  15. News: Felix. Jason. 1 September 2021. ANC chief whip's office 'not privy to intelligence reports' suggesting Xiaomei Havard is a spy. news24.
  16. News: Davis. Rebecca. 1 September 2021. 6 September 2021. How seriously should we take the claim of a possible Chinese spy in parliament?. Daily Maverick.

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