South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has criticised new visa restrictions announced by the United States, saying the measures appear to be based on what it described as a misrepresentation of the country’s domestic policies.
The restrictions were announced on Tuesday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and target certain South African nationals. The move has added to existing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria over South Africa’s domestic policies and positions on international issues.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said it was concerned about the latest US action and maintained that some of the views being used to justify the restrictions do not accurately represent the country’s policies.
The ministry said the measures appeared to reflect the influence of fringe groups that, in its view, portray themselves as representatives of minorities and Afrikaners more broadly.
South Africa also argued that disagreements between the two countries should be addressed through diplomatic channels rather than unilateral decisions.
“We maintain that challenges in our bilateral relations with the USA can only be resolved by constructive engagement through state actors on both sides of the diplomatic channel, not unilateral acts,” the statement said.
The South African government said it remained committed to addressing historical inequalities and contemporary challenges through its constitutional and democratic framework.
The latest dispute comes after months of tensions between the two countries, with Washington raising concerns over aspects of South African government policy, while Pretoria has repeatedly defended its right to formulate domestic laws as a sovereign state.
South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said continued differences should be handled through engagement between the two governments rather than measures that could further strain bilateral relations.
