Things will get worse for South Africa after United States visa sanctions

Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt warned that the United States could do far more harm to South Africa than targeted visa restrictions.

He said the United States can impose financial restrictions and pressure other countries to also levy sanctions on individual South Africans.

Roodt’s comments, made in an interview with Truth Report, come after the United States announced a new visa restriction policy targeting South African politicians and decision-makers.

These restrictions will apply to “foreign nationals who enact or enable policies that promote race-based discrimination, incite violence, or enable land confiscation without compensation in South Africa”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would not allow such behaviour to go “unchecked”, as they undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law.

Rubio’s announcement was followed by a statement from the US Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, who said the visa restriction policy is only the start.

He said the United States wants lasting relations with South Africa, but Pretoria has not shown that it wants the same.

“As a result, the consequences, as I’ve attempted time and again to express, are necessarily going to be severe,” he warned.

Bozell called it the first step in a series of escalatory measures that will show the United States’ firm resolve in this matter.

Roodt said the visa restrictions are only one of a host of consequences the United States could have in store for South Africa. 

“Without a doubt, the Americans can do much, much more. It’s not only visa restrictions that they can implement,” he warned. 

“There can be all sorts of financial restrictions as well, and they can pressurise other countries to join in sanctioning these individuals.” 

In response to the United States’ announcement, South Africa’s International Relations Minister, Ronald Lamola, said the public should prepare themselves for the worst-case scenario.

He said Washington wants South Africa to surrender its sovereignty, which the country is not willing to do.

“The South African public needs to prepare for the worst-case scenario, because the reality is that we are expected to surrender our sovereignty,” he said.

Lamola said the United States has demanded that South Africa get rid of policies such as Black Economic Empowerment and land expropriation.

He argued that these issues “belong to the sovereignty of the South African public and South African institutions”, and the country is capable of determining these policies for itself.

“These are issues of serious contestation with the United States, and we are of the view that they belong to the South African public,” he said.