US Tightens Visa Rules For South Africans Over Racial Policy Dispute

A fresh diplomatic dispute has erupted between Washington and Pretoria after the United States announced visa restrictions against certain South African nationals over policies the Trump administration says amount to racial discrimination.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures on Tuesday, saying they would apply to individuals involved in what Washington described as race-based discrimination, incitement of violence or efforts to enable land confiscation without compensation.

Rubio did not identify any individuals affected by the restrictions when the policy was announced. The measures are directed at specific people rather than South African travellers generally.

South Africa has rejected the US characterisation of its domestic policies. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola said Pretoria viewed the announcement with concern and accused groups supporting the US position of misrepresenting the country’s laws and the situation of Afrikaners.

The disagreement centres partly on South Africa’s efforts to address inequalities rooted in apartheid and its land-reform programme. The country’s government has repeatedly denied allegations that white South Africans are being persecuted or subjected to a campaign of “white genocide”.

South Africa’s Expropriation Act permits property to be expropriated in the public interest and provides limited circumstances in which compensation could be set at zero. The law also generally requires authorities to first seek agreement with property owners, while disputes can be challenged in court.

The latest measures add to a broader deterioration in relations between the two countries since Donald Trump returned to the White House, including US cuts to aid and previous diplomatic tensions.