By Gabriel Manyati
In a shocking display of ingratitude and historical ignorance, self-styled anti-immigrant firebrand Nkosikhona Phakel’umthakathi Ndabandaba has launched a venomous tirade against Nelson Mandela, the global symbol of reconciliation and the architect of South Africa’s democracy.
In a widely circulated podcast clip, the controversial activist dismissed the former president’s lifelong sacrifices, claiming Mandela achieved nothing for ordinary South Africans beyond superficial gestures.
“Nelson Mandela is a sellout. Foreigners must know that he didn’t own all of us; he owned only his family. He sold us out, whatever he said to the foreigners, he was talking on behalf of his family, not us… Nelson Mandela did nothing for us South Africans except dance with the children of white people,” Phakel’umthakathi is heard saying.
This contemptible attack on a man who endured 27 years of imprisonment to secure freedom for all South Africans has sparked widespread outrage online and across the continent. Critics have rightly condemned it as the rant of a divisive opportunist more interested in stirring ethnic tensions and personal notoriety than addressing real issues.
Phakel’umthakathi, who leads groups under the banner of marches against undocumented foreigners, has built a following through theatrical displays of authority, including videos showing him wielding a sjambok to discipline followers in a performative manner.
Far from a principled leader, he and similar vigilante figures stand accused of fostering an atmosphere of intimidation and selective xenophobia, primarily targeting fellow Africans while treading more carefully with others.
Social media reactions have been merciless. Many have highlighted the irony of an activist who claims to speak for the marginalised yet shows utter disregard for the very struggle that ended apartheid. One widely shared comment labelled his remarks as “shameless and childish,” while others pointed out how such rhetoric risks undermining national unity.
His movement has been linked to incidents of violence and looting during so-called anti-illegal immigration protests, despite repeated claims that opportunists are to blame.
In one interview, he deflected responsibility: “These are opportunists who use these marches when we are not there and they start looting and police must deal with those people.” Yet footage has surfaced of harassment and confrontations, including warnings to foreign nationals to leave by self-imposed deadlines.
Broader criticism paints the vigilante leadership as charlatans exploiting economic frustrations. Julius Malema and others have described such groups as engaging in Afrophobia, targeting vulnerable black foreigners rather than tackling root causes like inequality and governance failures. Analysts question the legality of their actions, with police warning against vigilantism.
Phakel’umthakathi’s own inconsistencies further erode his credibility. He has faced accusations of defamation, boasts of rejecting alleged bribes, and navigates a public image blending Zulu cultural revival with aggressive populism. Far from a unifier, he appears as a symptom of deeper societal fractures, where self-appointed saviours peddle simplistic narratives that divide rather than build.
Mandela’s legacy of forgiveness, negotiation, and nation-building stands in stark contrast to this brand of inflammatory activism. By diminishing the father of the nation to score cheap political points, Phakel’umthakathi and his ilk reveal themselves not as patriots, but as dangerous demagogues whose rhetoric risks reigniting the very divisions the Rainbow Nation overcame.
South Africans deserve better than this performative vigilantism masquerading as leadership.
