Below is a statement from Sheffield Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid. If you have booked to come tonight please do attend and hear Mandla Mandela via zoom.

STATEMENT ON TONIGHT’S MANDLA MANDELA MEETING

We deeply regret to announce that Mandla Mandela has been prevented from traveling to the UK. He will be addressing, therefore, tonight’s meeting at Sadacca via Zoom.

British officials had initially told him that his South African government passport did not require a visa to enter the UK. However, on Monday, Mandla was informed that he did require a visa. So far, despite high level approaches from senior ANC figures, the British embassy has not relented or issued a visa. As a result, he was unable to catch his plane yesterday. By contrast, the Irish authorities have waived the visa requirement for him.

This is not the first occasion that pro-Palestinian speakers from abroad have been obstructed from addressing audiences in this country. We will make every effort to have Mandla come to Sheffield in the near future but tonight’s meeting with him will go ahead. We will not allow expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people to be silenced.

We very much hope that you will still come to hear what Mandla has to say.
10TH October 2024