CAPE TOWN: The Trump administration is escalating pressure on South Africa by restricting U.S. visas for foreign nationals it accuses of supporting race-based discrimination, uncompensated land seizures and violence against minority groups, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
The new policy targets people who are responsible for enforcing South African laws and policies that allow uncompensated land seizures, racial discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against ethnic and racial minorities. Certain family members may also be affected by the restrictions, according to the State Department.
Marco Rubio said the United States would not allow what it described as discriminatory policies to continue without consequences. He argued that such actions threaten peace, economic stability and the rule of law.
The announcement marks another escalation in tensions between Washington and Pretoria. The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized South Africa over policies it says discriminate against white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners.
South Africa has rejected the U.S. allegations, describing claims of government-backed discrimination against whites as baseless and based on misinformation. President Cyril Ramaphosa's government has defended its policies as part of efforts to address racial inequalities created during the country's apartheid era.
At the center of the dispute is South Africa's land reform policy. The country's laws allow the government, under certain circumstances, to expropriate private land without compensation. The United States has cited the policy as evidence of what it describes as racial discrimination.
The administration has also raised concerns about racial violence and policies designed to expand economic opportunities for historically disadvantaged Black South Africans. Marco Rubio did not identify specific people who would face the new restrictions. A white minority advocacy group in South Africa has previously urged the United States to impose sanctions on officials linked to the African National Congress.
Washington has also criticized Pretoria over its foreign policy, including its legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The U.S. Embassy in South Africa has warned that the visa restrictions could be the beginning of additional measures. The State Department said the policy was issued under a section of U.S. immigration law that allows visa restrictions when an individual's entry could have serious adverse consequences for U.S. foreign policy.
