Although the overt racist and xenophobic reactions following last month’s appointment by South Africa’s ruling African National Congress of Xiaomei Havard as a replacement member of parliament have largely died down, many party members are now wondering how someone with no previous political experience or other relevant credentials was able to get the seat. 

“Aside from attending a few gatherings of the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL), several Chinese and SA business gatherings, and attending Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) forums, Havard appears to have undertaken no real ANC activism,” wrote The Citizen journalist Eric Naki.