Lamola rejects US visa restrictions, defends South Africa’s sovereignty and laws

International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has pushed back against new US visa restrictions announced this week, saying South Africa will address its challenges through its constitutional and democratic framework and defending the country’s sovereign right to pass laws to correct past injustices.

US announces new visa policy

The restrictions were announced on Tuesday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The policy targets foreign nationals the United States says are responsible for, or complicit in, enacting or implementing laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa. The US statement said certain family members of targeted individuals may also be covered; no individuals were named.

Lamola: restrictions noted “with concern”

Lamola said he had noted the restrictions “with concern,” and accused fringe groups of misrepresenting South Africa’s domestic policies by portraying themselves as representatives of minorities and Afrikaners. He said South Africa remained committed to addressing the injustices of the past through its constitution and democratic processes.

Defending domestic laws

Lamola emphasised South Africa’s sovereign right to introduce legislation to address the legacy of racial injustice, saying:

“It is our sovereign right to put in place laws that address the nation’s concern over centuries of racial injustice. Legislation in the democratic era is intended to improve the plight of the people who had been excluded for centuries.”

He pointed to the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act 16 of 2023, saying it “provided a legal framework for addressing hate speech and prosecuting hate crimes” and that the law “is binding on both the State and non-state actors.”

Calls for diplomatic engagement

Lamola said South Africa respected that the United States may hold different views but expected reciprocity in respect for its sovereignty. He said ongoing bilateral discussions highlighted the need for any resolution to consider South Africa’s unique circumstances and to respect its “democracy, constitution, sovereignty, and the will of its people.”

He rejected the suggestion that South Africa’s approach to crime targeted people based on race, saying the government “remains seized with the challenges of crime in South Africa which affects everyone and is not targeting anyone based on their race, colour, or social origin.”

On the diplomatic path, Lamola said:

“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.”

Washington urges action

Rubio said the South African government had not adequately addressed previously raised concerns and announced the new visa restriction policy. He urged Pretoria to act, saying:

“We once again strongly urge the South African government to quickly address these egregious actions.”

The comments from both sides came amid a broader US statement describing the visa policy’s targets and the issues it seeks to address.