South Africa Reacts After US Announces New Visa Restrictions
- South Africa's Foreign Ministry pushed back against new US visa restrictions announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday
- The ministry said the move appeared to be driven by what it called a mischaracterisation of South Africa's domestic policies by fringe groups
- Pretoria said bilateral differences with Washington should be resolved through diplomatic engagement, not unilateral action
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South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation has publicly criticised the United States after Washington announced new visa restrictions targeting some South African nationals.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the ministry said it was concerned about the restrictions, which were announced the previous day by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Pretoria calls out Washington
The South African government argued that the decision appeared to rest on a distorted view of the country's domestic policies, one it attributed to fringe groups rather than an accurate reading of government policy.
"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 ministry said.
Pretoria made clear it believed disputes between the two countries should be worked through proper diplomatic channels rather than through measures imposed without prior consultation.
Tensions between pretoria and Washington
The announcement comes against a backdrop of mounting friction between South Africa and the United States. The two governments have clashed over several issues in recent months, including South Africa's domestic policies and its stance on various international matters.
Washington has grown increasingly critical of Pretoria on a range of fronts, and the latest visa restrictions appear to reflect those broader disagreements. South Africa, for its part, has consistently pushed back against what it views as external interference in its affairs.
The Foreign Ministry's statement signals that Pretoria is not prepared to let the move go unanswered, though it stopped short of announcing any retaliatory steps, instead calling for dialogue through established diplomatic structures.
Source: Legit.ng
