Mandela’s grandson denied UK visa over his support for Hamas
UK tells Mandla Mandela his presence in the UK ‘not conducive to the public good,’ citing his explicit ‘support Hamas and their terrorist violence’
JOHANNESBURG — The grandson of South Africa’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela, said Friday the UK government denied him an entry visa because of his support for the Hamas terror organization and his stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
Mandla Mandela could not travel to the UK earlier this month to address pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel gatherings in Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow after he was informed that he would need a visa, despite holding a South African government passport that would ordinarily allow him visa-free entry.
This week, the UK Home Office sent Mandela a letter informing him that his visa application had been denied because of his “support for Hamas,” and because his presence in the UK was “not conducive to the public good.”
Mandela told the AP that he received the letter, dated Oct. 21, on Thursday.
“Your presence in the UK has been assessed as not conducive for the public good on the grounds that you have engaged in unacceptable behavior. You have made multiple statements which explicitly support Hamas and their terrorist violence, including glorifying the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and their recently deceased leader Ismail Haniyeh,” states the letter, seen by The Associated Press.
Hamas-led terrorists stormed Israel on October 7th, 2023, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, amid acts of rape and torture, and taking 251 hostages. It still holds 101 hostages.
The letter points out several of Mandela’s posts on Instagram in which he voices his support for Hamas, including one showing him with Haniyeh, who was killed in an explosion in Tehran in July that has been blamed on Israel.
Nelson Mandela'nın torunu Mandla Mandela, Gazze direnişini ve Hamas'ı selamlayarak tekbir getiriyor. pic.twitter.com/2aluJUpN3q
— Mehmet Toprak (@MehToprak) January 12, 2024
It also notes that Mandela attended Haniyeh’s funeral in August, having met him twice in January and April this year, and posted a photo of himself with a senior Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal.
“As such, your presence in the UK is considered to pose a threat to UK society as it would highly likely cause tensions amongst UK Jewish communities. It is in the interests of the community to refuse your visa to protect public safety and prevent disorder or crime in the UK,” the letter states.
The Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mandela said the visa refusal would not deter him from continuing to express his support for the Palestinians.
“We can never be silenced and we will never let the refusal of a visa prevent us for standing for justice, peace and equality. We will continue to raise our voice against the unjust occupation, genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gaza and all of Occupied Palestine sponsored by the UK and its ilk,” he said.
He said the visa refusal was an attempt to restrict his movement and freedom of expression, likening it to the challenges faced by his grandfather Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for his role in the struggle against apartheid. The racist system implemented by the white minority government was abolished in 1994 and Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected leader.
“My grandfather’s movement and freedom were likewise restricted but he refused the condition of release from prison that restricted him to the Transkei. He remained firm in his pursuit of justice and continued to be a symbol of freedom, justice and human rights for all,” he said.
Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel organizations, including the Desmond Tutu Foundation in South Africa and the UK-based Sheffield Palestine Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, have criticized the UK for its decision.
Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.