The United States has enacted a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals involved in race-based discrimination, incitement of violence, and uncompensated land seizures in South Africa.
Announcing the measure, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14204, titled Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa. Rubio expressed gravity over alleged government-sponsored discrimination and racially motivated crime against Afrikaners and other minority populations.
Specifically, the State Department highlighted race-based legislation, threats of expropriation without compensation, and the use of inflammatory, dehumanising chants that incite violence against minorities.
“The South African government has not adequately addressed these issues,” Rubio said, warning that such actions undermine peace, economic stability, and the rule of law. He added that the practices are incompatible with U.S. foreign policy and urged Pretoria to resolve the matters swiftly.
Diplomatic relations between Washington and Pretoria have grown increasingly strained following the enactment of Executive Order 14204. The order was signed by President Trump in response to South Africa’s controversial land reform efforts, including provisions within its Expropriation Act that allow for property takeover without compensation under specific public-interest conditions—and broader foreign policy disagreements.
The U.S. administration has previously taken measures under the executive order to suspend bilateral foreign aid and establish pathways to resettle Afrikaners and other minority South Africans in the United States.
The South African government has consistently defended its legislative framework, maintaining that land reform is necessary to address vast wealth and property disparities inherited from the apartheid era. Pretoria has denied allegations of systematic persecution or illegal land seizures, describing its measures as constitutionally bound mechanisms designed to ensure historic equity.
