‘Think twice’ - Rubio’s visa threat to SA politicians - IOL

President Cyril Ramaphosa has frequently denied charges of a white genocide in South Africa. On May 21, 2025, Ramaphosa met with US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing the allegation, at the White House in Washington.

South Africa's politicians may soon have to think twice before packing their bags for America.

That is because US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that Uncle Sam would restrict visas for anyone responsible for, or complicit in, making or enforcing laws or policies that allow land to be taken without compensation or discriminate against Afrikaners.

International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola said the announcement was another example of SA's domestic policies being misrepresented by fringe groups claiming to speak for minorities and Afrikaners in general.

"SA respects that the US may hold different views on specific policy measures and their implementation," he said in a statement issued by his spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.

"However, we remain committed to addressing these challenges through our constitutional institutions, democratic processes and the rule of law, with the aim of building a more equal and inclusive society for all South Africans."

Former president Jacob Zuma’s MK Party also responded to the announcement, accusing Washington of sticking its nose into SA's affairs and using the visa restrictions to put pressure on its politicians.

The party's response came after Rubio laid out the reasons behind the new restrictions, pointing to what Washington sees as growing threats to minority groups in SA.

Rubio said: "The US remains gravely concerned about racially motivated crime and government-sponsored discrimination occurring against the Afrikaners and other minority populations in SA, including race-based discriminatory legislation, threats of land expropriation without compensation, and incitement of racial violence through dehumanising chants and slogans."

The US ambassador to SA, Leo Bozell, said Washington wanted "strong and lasting relations" with Pretoria.

But he said the talking could not go on forever.

"The time for endless dialogue has run its course," he said on X.

Rubio also said Pretoria had failed to address concerns previously raised by Washington.

"The SA government has not adequately addressed the previously laid out concerns, and so today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals who are responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation of laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination, and/or the incitement of imminent violence against members of minority ethnic or racial groups in SA." 

He warned that Washington would not "allow such behaviour to go unchecked".

"These actions directly undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law, and they are incompatible with the pillars of America's foreign policy," Rubio said.

The restrictions are being imposed under the country's Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act.

The provision allows the Secretary of State to restrict entry where a foreign national's admission could have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the US.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeatedly rejected claims of a white genocide in SA.

The issue was raised directly when Ramaphosa met US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on May 21, 2025.

Trump presented material he said showed evidence of attacks on white South Africans.

Ramaphosa pushed back against the claims and said violent crime affects South Africans across racial lines.

The meeting came after Trump had repeatedly raised concerns about alleged persecution of white farmers and land seizures in SA.

Ramaphosa has also defended the country’s land reform programme and rejected claims that the country is engaged in a campaign against white South Africans.

Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela also rejected Rubio's framing of crime and racial discrimination in SA.

“This is not true. Crime affects all and disproportionately affects black South Africans, particularly Africans, due to their positioning at the bottom of SA’s pyramid structures, economy and social system,” she said.

Madonsela pointed to the recent killings of women.

"Right now, eight African women have been murdered by what appears to be a serial killer," she said.

Police are investigating the deaths. Authorities have not established that the cases are all connected or confirmed that a serial killer is responsible.

Madonsela also linked present-day inequality to the country's colonial and apartheid past.

"Black deprivation is not an accident of history or misfortune, but a direct outcome of state-orchestrated social engineering through successive colonial and apartheid laws such as land and other property dispossession, job reservation, commercial and property rights denial, and legalised under-service that enabled the state to uplift the white minority at the expense of the black majority who were denied the opportunity to thrive," she said.

She added: "Mathematically, you should know that a deficit cannot fix itself without reparatory action."

MK Party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu also rejected Rubio’s announcement.

"The MK Party condemns the visa restrictions announced by Rubio against South Africans allegedly supporting racial discrimination, uncompensated land seizures or incitement against minorities," Mahlangu said.

He described the move as political interference.

"This is not an ordinary immigration measure. It is a hostile political intervention aimed at intimidating South African leaders, legislators and citizens who support lawful land restitution and economic transformation," he said.

Mahlangu said the MK Party remained critical of the ANC government.

"The MK Party has profound disagreements with the ANC government and will continue holding it accountable for corruption, unemployment, inequality and economic decline. However, opposition to the ANC will never make us collaborators in an attack on South African sovereignty," he said.

Mahlangu also rejected claims of a "white genocide" in SA.

"There is no 'white genocide' in SA. Our country has a devastating violent-crime crisis affecting communities of every race, but no credible evidence establishes a state-directed campaign to destroy white South Africans, nor has South Africa implemented the mass confiscation of white-owned farms alleged by Washington,” he said.

The MK Party said the Expropriation Act provides a regulated legal process and remains subject to constitutional and judicial oversight.

FF Plus leader Dr Corne Mulder said the latest US visa restrictions were the consequence of what he described as the South African government’s failure to respond to conditions raised by Washington.

"The contempt that Ramaphosa and his administration have demonstrated in ignoring the conditions set by the US for normalising relations between the two countries for more than a year is now leading to serious and direct consequences," Mulder said.

He said the FF Plus had previously warned the government that it needed to address the issues raised by the US.

Just two days before Rubio’s announcement, the party had warned publicly that SA was "dragging its feet" in addressing what it described as five US conditions.

Mulder said the government's response that there was "no rush" because there was "no deadline" was evidence of what he described as a failure to take the US concerns seriously.

"The FF Plus wishes to make the following very clear to the South African government, and especially Mr Magwenya: There is a clear deadline. It is now. After Rubio's latest warning, no one can later say, 'We did not know,'" he said.

The five conditions listed by the FF Plus were the classification of farm attacks as a priority crime, condemnation of the "Kill the Boer" chant, no land expropriation without fair market-related compensation, an exemption for US enterprises from BEE requirements, and a demonstration of SA's claimed non-alignment in foreign policy.

These are conditions described by the FF Plus as having been conveyed to the South African government following a visit to Washington DC in June last year.