Naturalized South African-citizen Xiaomei Havard’s swearing-in last week to become an ANC member of parliament sparked a strong backlash online under the hashtags #SArejectsXiaomeiHavard and #PutSouthAfricansFirst.

Havard was named to replace the late minister in the presidency Jackson Mthembu. her appointment also riled up MPs who also wondered: “If a black person born in China can never be a member of the Chinese Parliament. Why does SA allow Chinese born person to be a member of the SA parliament and make laws for South Africans.”

The ANC, for its part, said Havard represents how the party remains committed to its “non-racist principles.”