South Africa remains willing to continue discussions with the United States despite a recent dispute over Washington’s visa restrictions on South African citizens, Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola has said.
Lamola said Pretoria remained prepared to engage with the US administration on areas of disagreement, including policies concerning foreign investment, Black employment and ownership in South Africa.
The minister made the comments during an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The two countries had been discussing ways to accommodate new American investors in South Africa’s mining industry, among other issues, and Lamola said progress had been made before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions affecting South Africans.
Washington cited concerns about South Africa’s laws and policies when announcing the restrictions, although it did not specify who would be subject to the measures.
PRETORIA SEEKS TO AVOID FURTHER ESCALATION
Lamola said South Africa did not want the disagreement over visas to develop into a retaliatory confrontation with Washington because of the importance of the economic relationship between the two countries.
“South Africa remains open to engage with the U.S. administration on all the issues that they have put on the table,” Lamola said.
“We are predictable and reliable partners, and we see the U.S. as an important strategic partner.”
The minister nevertheless expressed concern about the direction of the relationship under the current US administration.
He said Pretoria could not be certain about Washington’s next move, describing the administration as unpredictable.
“You can’t be confident of anything with the current administration,” Lamola said, according to Reuters.
The dispute comes at a time when South Africa and the United States are attempting to manage disagreements while maintaining economic and diplomatic ties.
South Africa has criticised Washington’s visa restrictions, but Lamola indicated that Pretoria preferred continued engagement rather than responding with reciprocal measures.
US PRESSURE ON SOUTH AFRICAN POLICIES
The visa dispute is part of a broader disagreement between the two governments.
The Trump administration has criticised several South African policies, including measures aimed at addressing racial inequality.
Washington has also raised concerns about South Africa’s land reform policies and its legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
South Africa brought the case against Israel at the court, accusing the country of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to its military operations in Gaza. Israel has rejected the allegations.
Lamola said the case should be allowed to proceed independently through the international legal system.
He said the proceedings “have to have a life of their own” and should be decided by the court, with international law serving as an “equalizer amongst nations, big and small.”
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DISPUTE OVER AFRIKANER RESETTLEMENT
Another source of disagreement is a US programme allowing some white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, to resettle in the United States as refugees.
Lamola criticised the programme as “race-based” and questioned the classification of the participants as refugees.
He pointed out that some South Africans who had left the country continued to visit South Africa.
However, he said Pretoria would not prevent South Africans who wanted to participate in the US resettlement programme from doing so.
The issue has added another layer to relations between Pretoria and Washington, which have already been affected by disagreements over domestic policy and international affairs.
SOUTH AFRICA MAINTAINS DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL
The latest comments from Lamola suggest that South Africa wants to keep diplomatic channels with Washington open despite the growing disagreements.
The South African minister’s remarks came after the US ambassador to South Africa said the visa restrictions announced on September 15 were “only the first step in a series of escalatory measures” and that the period of what he described as endless dialogue had ended.
Lamola rejected that approach, arguing that diplomacy depends on continued communication.
“If you can’t dialog and you want to declare that dialog has run its course, you are in the wrong profession — you are not a diplomat,” he said.
The minister added that only Washington could determine whether relations between the two countries would recover.
They appears to be seeking continued engagement with the United States while defending its domestic policies and positions on international legal issues.
The dispute over visas therefore remains unresolved, but Pretoria has signaled that it is not closing the door to further talks with Washington.
