South Africa has criticised the new U.S. visa restrictions, saying the measures were influenced by fringe groups that falsely claim to represent the country’s white minority.
The restrictions, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, have renewed tensions between Washington and Pretoria after several months of relative calm.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since last year following repeated claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that white South Africans face systemic persecution.
South Africa’s foreign ministry said the latest measures again misrepresented the country’s domestic policies.
“The announcement once again aligns with the mischaracterisation of South Africa’s domestic policies,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said South Africa had the sovereign right to enact laws aimed at addressing centuries of racial injustice and called for continued engagement through diplomatic channels.
The United States said the new visa restrictions would target foreign nationals responsible for, or complicit in, laws and policies that enable race-based discrimination. It did not identify the individuals who could be affected.
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US Ambassador Warns of Further Measures
The U.S. Ambassador to South Africa said on Wednesday that the visa restrictions were only the first step in a series of escalatory measures.
“The time for endless ‘dialogue’ has run its course,” the ambassador said in a post on X, adding that the consequences would be severe.
South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola was travelling to the United States on Wednesday to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a ministry official said.
The Trump administration has already barred South Africa from attending the G20 summit in Miami in December, despite the country being a founding member of the bloc.
