United States has announced a new visa ban targeting South African officials and others who enact or enable race-based discrimination or push land confiscation without compensation against Afrikaners

The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting certain South African government officials, lawmakers and politicians accused by Washington of being responsible for or involved in policies it considers race-based discrimination. The restrictions are not a blanket visa ban on all South Africans. They are aimed at specific individuals identified by the U.S. government, […]

The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting certain South African government officials, lawmakers and politicians accused by Washington of being responsible for or involved in policies it considers race-based discrimination.

The restrictions are not a blanket visa ban on all South Africans. They are aimed at specific individuals identified by the U.S. government, and in some cases their immediate family members may also be affected.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures were introduced under American immigration law, which allows the United States to restrict entry to foreign nationals when their presence is considered to have potentially serious consequences for U.S. foreign policy.

The Trump administration has linked the decision to its concerns about South Africa’s racial policies, including land and property issues. South Africa has previously rejected similar accusations from Washington and defended its policies as efforts to address inequalities created during apartheid.

The latest move adds another source of tension to already strained relations between Washington and Pretoria.