By a Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa has pushed back against new visa restrictions imposed by the United States on foreign nationals linked to Pretoria’s land and racial policies, insisting that the country has a sovereign right to address inequalities created by apartheid.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the restrictions on Tuesday, saying they would target foreign nationals responsible for, or complicit in, policies that Washington says enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or incitement of imminent violence against racial or ethnic minorities in South Africa.
Washington has not identified specific individuals who will be affected or disclosed how many people could face restrictions.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, criticised the US action, saying Pretoria remained committed to addressing historical inequalities through constitutional and democratic institutions.
Lamola said South Africa respected Washington’s right to hold different views on its policies but expected the United States to respect its sovereignty.
“South Africa remains committed to address the injustices of the past and contemporary challenges as a sovereign people,” Lamola said in a statement.
He said South Africa’s legislation was intended to address the effects of centuries of racial injustice and improve the position of people who had historically been excluded.
The latest dispute centres largely on South Africa’s land reform programme. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law in January 2025, providing a framework for the acquisition of property for public purposes or in the public interest, with compensation generally required. Pretoria rejects allegations that the law permits indiscriminate seizure of land without compensation.
Washington, however, has repeatedly raised concerns about land expropriation, racial discrimination and what it describes as discrimination against Afrikaners and other minorities.
The Trump administration has also previously criticised South Africa over its land policies and its legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice, contributing to a deterioration in bilateral relations.
South Africa has rejected allegations that white South Africans are being systematically persecuted, arguing that its transformation policies are aimed at addressing inequalities inherited from apartheid.
The new visa restrictions were imposed under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the secretary of state to restrict entry where a foreign national’s presence could have potentially serious adverse consequences for US foreign policy.
The measures add another layer to increasingly strained relations between Pretoria and Washington. The US has also excluded South Africa from the upcoming G20 summit in Miami, while the US ambassador to South Africa has warned that further measures could follow.
Lamola, meanwhile, is due in the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, as Pretoria seeks to maintain diplomatic engagement despite the widening differences between the two governments.
