Mos Def undesirable in SA: Home Affairs

22 November 2016 9:15 PM

American hip hop artist Yasiin Bey, popularly known as Mos Def, left South Africa on Tuesday evening after being declared an undesirable person by the Department of Home Affairs Director-General Mkuseli Apleni.

Mos Def was in trouble with Home Affairs in January this year, when he tried to leave South Africa on a world passport, which is not recognised as a valid passport in the country.

He has come forward and said I want to apologise and accept that a world passport is not recognised, and I will go to my government, which is US Embassy, and apply for a passport
— Mkuseli Apleni, Department of Home Affairs Director-General

Speaking to #NightTalk's Gugs Mhlungu and Sizwe Dhlomo, Apleni says that Mos Def was declared an undesirable person by the Department of Home Affairs after he had overstayed the 90 days he was permitted to in the country when he was found to be using an invalid passport.

It was his problem to prolong the case, to go beyond the period which we granted him to be in the country
— Mkuseli Apleni, Department of Home Affairs Director-General

It is still possible for Mos Def to be allowed into the country. Do do so, he would need to apply to the Department of Home Affairs when he is back in the United States, to wave the department's declaration of him as an undesirable person.

Apleni says that the decision to wave this declaration is at the discretion of Home Affairs.

If there's no issue of this being intentional, then we can consider (waving the undesirable person declaration). But he must apply
— Mkuseli Apleni, Department of Home Affairs Director-General

Listen to the conversation below:

Written by: Litha Mpondwana