Actor and rapper Mos Def will stand trial in March over what South African officials describe as a fraudulent passport.
Mos Def, who now goes by Yasiin Bey, was arrested while trying to fly from Cape Town to Ethiopia last week with a “world passport”. Officials in South Africa contend that there is no such classification.
Mos Def, whose real name is Dante Terrel Smith, was released on $300 bond, but officials revealed Wednesday that he will be tried in court for the infraction.
The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that the actor entered South Africa with a legitimate US passport in November. Since that time, S. African officials have revealed that members of Smith’s family have overstayed their visas and Mr. Smith somehow obtained an illegitimate passport, they contend.
“The major problem why he could not get on the Ethiopian flight was the document he produced at the immigration counter, the World Passport, which South Africa does not recognise,” home affairs director general Mkuseli Apleni said.
“Immigration officers had also detected that his spouse and minor child had overstayed their visit to the Republic.
“Mister Smith will appear for trial on March 8 to answer the immigration charges.”
Mos Def attempted to leave the country with a “World Government of World Citizens” passport, an illegitimate passport established by a peace activist who opposed World War II.
According to The Raw Story, both Edward Snowden and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange are holders of World Passports, but the documents are still not legally recognized.
Each time Mos Def has entered the country, he’s entered on a 90 day tourist Visa.
“I haven’t broken any law. And I’m being treated like a criminal,” he reportedly said of the incident.
