UK Faces Backlash for Barring Nelson Mandela’s Grandson from Crucial Pro-Palestinian Speaking Tour

Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Chief Mandla Mandela, has been barred from entering the UK, where he was scheduled to deliver a series of talks supporting the Palestinian cause during Black History Month. 

The UK government’s decision to deny his visa has triggered widespread outrage, with critics accusing the government of succumbing to pro-Israel pressures. 

Mandla Mandela, a member of the South African government and an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights, had plans to speak at nine pro-Palestinian events across the UK, including major cities like Sheffield, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. 

A group named Sheffield Palestine Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid explained that Mandela was informed by British officials that his South African passport did not require a visa, but this was reversed just days before his flight. Despite high-level interventions from senior African National Congress (ANC) figures, the British embassy did not issue a visa. 

The British Foreign Office questioned the validity of his diplomatic visa, leading to the cancellation of his visit, but events are set to proceed with him addressing audiences via live satellite links. 

The visa ban on Mandela’s grandson has sparked criticism not only from pro-Palestinian activists but also within the UK political sphere. 

A Labour Party member, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration: “These are the sort of tactics we have come to expect from the Conservative Party who once labeled Nelson Mandela as a terrorist.” 

“The parallels are striking between the past British treatment of Nelson Mandela and the Starmer government’s decision,” said Mick Napier, co-founder of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), about Nelson Mandela’s past as a political prisoner. 

“During the time that Nelson Mandela was categorized by the UK government as a properly-convicted terrorist rightly incarcerated for 27 years on Robben Island, he was given the honorary freedom of three Scottish cities: Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.” 

Napier further lambasted the decision asserting that the government which is blocking Chief Mandela’s visit is filled with supporters of Israeli apartheid and its genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.” 

He referenced the International Court of Justice’s ruling on Israel’s brutal genocide in Gaza over 369 relentless days in which  42,065 innocent people have been slaughtered, 97,886 wounded, and 11,000 remain missing—an unforgivable atrocity against humanity. 

Moreover, the refusal to grant Mandela entry has led to sharp contrasts between the UK and Ireland, where his visit to Dublin will go ahead as planned. The Irish government waived the visa requirement for Mandela, allowing him to speak at the "Dismantling Apartheid: South Africa to Palestine" rally in Dublin on 16 October. 

Mandela is expected to draw parallels between the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and the Palestinian resistance, as well as honoring Irish activists like the Dunnes Stores Anti-Apartheid strikers. 

In response to the visa denial, Africa 4 Palestine, a Johannesburg-based campaign group, condemned the decision, stating that “the call to ban Mandla Mandela from entering the UK mirrors the demonization tactics used against freedom fighters throughout history.” 

They stressed the importance of free speech, adding, “We call for an end to the madness of labeling freedom fighters as terrorists, and we stand firm in our belief that the world must unite against all forms of oppression.” 

Napier emphasized the importance of Mandela’s voice at this critical time, stating, “There is no more important issue in the world today, and we deserve to hear an important voice in support of international law and the cruelly-violated Palestinian people, especially since the US and London governments actively support Israel during the commission of a genocide.”

Nelson Mandela was a prominent supporter of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian cause throughout his life. His advocacy stemmed from a deep understanding of colonial struggles, drawing parallels between the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the Palestinian quest for self-determination.

Mandela once stated, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”