US WARNS SOUTH AFRICA: MORE MEASURES COULD FOLLOW
The United States ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell, has warned that Washington’s new visa restrictions against certain South Africans are only the first step in a possible series of further measures against South Africa.
Bozell said the time for “endless dialogue” between Washington and Pretoria had run its course and warned that the US was running out of patience. He said the consequences could be “severe”, although he did not specify what further measures could be introduced.
The new US visa policy, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targets foreign nationals whom Washington considers responsible for or complicit in policies it describes as serious race-based discrimination, as well as incitement of violence and uncompensated land seizures.
Washington’s concerns include South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies and land expropriation legislation. The US has also raised concerns about violence affecting rural communities and political rhetoric that Washington says could incite violence against Afrikaners and other minority groups.
The South African government has previously rejected US claims that Afrikaners are being systematically persecuted. Pretoria has also defended South Africa’s non-aligned foreign policy and maintained that its expropriation laws are not discriminatory.
Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has meanwhile challenged Bozell’s position, arguing that crime affects all South Africans and that historical inequality and the legacy of colonialism and apartheid remain factors in the country.
The latest developments add further pressure to already strained relations between South Africa and the US, as Pretoria continues efforts to manage its relationship with Washington.
