Lamola says new US visa restrictions concerning

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has expressed concern over the new visa restrictions announced by US Representative Marco Rubio. The restrictions target South Africans responsible for or complicit in racially motivated crimes and government-sponsored discrimination against Afrikaners and other minority groups.

Lamola emphasizes that these restrictions are a misrepresentation of South Africa's domestic policy, as groups falsely representing themselves as minority representatives often distort the truth. He reaffirms Pretoria's commitment to healing past divisions, establishing a democratic society, and safeguarding fundamental human rights.

Lamola highlights that legislation adopted during the democratic era aims to enhance the living conditions of historically excluded individuals, aligning with practices in other nations with comparable historical experiences under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The Democratic Alliance, meanwhile, asserts that many policies drafted and passed by the African National Congress have not benefited the nation. Ryan Smith, a DA MP on the International Relations Committee, states that not all laws have promoted equality. He contends that South Africans can observe the consequences of failed domestic policies without external intervention.

Smith argues that the ANC does not require visa restrictions from the US, as it faces electoral backlash from its own constituents who are increasingly rejecting its governance. He emphasizes that South Africa's strong democracy and institutions will hold the ANC accountable at the upcoming election. The US has imposed new visa restrictions on certain South Africans for their alleged roles in laws or policies enabling land expropriation without compensation and race-based discrimination.