United States hits South Africa hard

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a new visa restriction policy against South Africans who are involved in race-based discrimination. 

The restrictions will also target individuals who call for the expropriation of land in South Africa without compensation. 

“As the President has made clear, the South African people are being failed by a government that is destroying its economy through an obsessive pursuit of radical grievance against the Afrikaner minority,” Rubio said. 

He explained that the government has failed to address rural crime, violent and dehumanising rhetoric, and race-based discriminatory policies against Afrikaners and other minorities. 

“Those responsible for these injustices have no place in the United States,” Rubio said. 

The new visa restriction policy targets foreign nationals who are responsible or complicit in the following acts: 

• The enactment or implementation of laws or policies that enable uncompensated land seizures.
• Race-based discrimination.
• The incitement of imminent violence against members of minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa.

“The United States will not allow such behaviour to go unchecked. These actions directly undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law,” Rubio said. 

He also said that they are incompatible with the pillars of America’s foreign policy.

“We once again strongly urge the South African government to quickly address these egregious actions.”

The visa restrictions may also extend to the family members of those responsible for these acts. 

These visa restrictions are similar to sanctions called for by US lawmakers on South Africa for its discriminatory policies and foreign policy. 

US lawmakers have called for a full review of bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States, with two bills being tabled in Congress.

The first bill, the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act (H.R.2633) was tabled in the House of Representatives April 2025 by Ronnie Jackson.

A second bill, called the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act (S.2752), was tabled in the US Senate in September 2025 by Senator John Kennedy.

These bills call for a comprehensive review of bilateral relations and an investigation into whether South Africa undermines the United States’ national security. 

Both also call for a classified list of South African government officials and members of the African National Congress to be sanctioned.