‘Are you a South African?’ Lesotho athlete sparks debate over apparent SA passport

Lesotho Olympic taekwondo athlete Michelle Tau has found herself at the centre of a social media debate after posting a photograph that appeared to show a South African passport.

Tau, who represented Lesotho at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, had told Basotho that she was returning home and would sell achaar in the meantime.

The seemingly ordinary post quickly drew attention to the document visible in the photograph, with some social media users questioning whether the athlete holds South African citizenship in addition to her Lesotho nationality.

One user, @Rethabile Mojaje, asked: “You are a South African, right?”

Another, @Jay MQ, urged caution, writing: “But that’s just a hand holding a passport we not even sure it’s really her…”

@Fox Poller asked: “So you no longer a Mosotho you now a SA citizen?”

@Tseliso Ramakhoa also questioned whether Tau had dual nationality, asking: “Wait a minute. Kanthe you have dual citizenship?”

Michelle Tau has represented Lesotho

Tau is well known for representing Lesotho in international taekwondo competitions.

She represented the country at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in the women’s under-49kg event.

She was Lesotho’s sole representative in taekwondo at the Games and faced Iran’s Mobina Nematzadeh in the opening round.

She has also competed for Lesotho at other major international events, including the African Games and African Taekwondo Championships.

Lesotho’s Parliament has previously specifically referred to Tau as a national team taekwondo player who represented the country at the African Games and the Paris Olympics.

There is, however, no independently verified evidence establishing that Tau is a South African citizen.

The photograph circulating on social media does not, by itself, establish the legal status of the person holding the passport, nor does it explain how or why the document may have been in her possession.

Does Lesotho allow dual citizenship?

The social media debate has also highlighted an important point that some users appear to have overlooked: Lesotho permits dual citizenship.

The country’s Eighth Amendment to the Constitution Act, 2018 amended the previous position on dual nationality.

Lesotho’s Ministry of Home Affairs says the amendment means applicants seeking Lesotho citizenship do not have to renounce their original citizenship.

The ministry also says the amendment provides for the restoration of Lesotho citizenship for Basotho who had lost it because of the previous prohibition on dual citizenship.

The Lesotho government has similarly described the constitutional amendment allowing dual citizenship as an important development in its engagement with the Basotho diaspora.

The government’s foreign affairs ministry also lists the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution Act 2018 among its important official documents.

This means that even if Tau were confirmed to hold both Lesotho and South African citizenship, dual nationality would not automatically mean that she had ceased to be a Mosotho.

Why the passport caused such a reaction

The reaction appears to reflect the particularly close relationship between Lesotho and South Africa.

Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, and the two countries have extensive historical, economic and social links.

The Ministry of Home Affairs notes that all of Lesotho’s border posts are with South Africa, with the Maseru and Maputsoe crossings among the busiest.

For many Basotho, therefore, having connections to South Africa is hardly unusual.

But Tau’s case attracted greater attention because she is a prominent athlete who has represented Lesotho on the international stage.

Her appearance at the Paris Olympics, together with her participation in other international competitions under the Lesotho flag, has made her national identity particularly visible.

The key question raised by the social media discussion is whether Tau actually holds South African citizenship.