South African Government confirms tragic death of citizen in the United States of America (USA), extends condolences
The Government of the Republic of South Africa confirms with deep sadness the tragic passing of a South African citizen in West Virginia, United States of America. The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, has extended condolences to the bereaved family during this profoundly difficult time.
Our Embassy in Washington D.C. is providing full consular assistance the family.
The circumstances surrounding this tragic death remain under active investigation by the relevant United States authorities. Out of respect for the ongoing investigative process, the sensitivity of the matter, and the privacy of the grieving family, the South African Government will not be providing further detailed commentary at this time.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
'We don't want them': Why Trump banned entry of travellers from 12 countries
US President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban Wednesday targeting 12 countries, saying it was spurred by an attack on a Jewish protest in Colorado that authorities blamed on a man they said was in the country illegally. The ban, which strongly resembles a similar measure taken in his first presidency, targets nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It will go into effect on June 9, the White House said. Trump also imposed a partial ban on travelers from seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, the White House said. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted," Trump said in a video message from the Oval Office posted on X. "We don't want them." Trump compared the new measures to the "powerful" ban he imposed on a number of mainly Muslim countries in his first term, which he said had stopped the United States suffering attacks that happened in Europe. "We will not let what happened in Europe happen in America," Trump said. "We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen. That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." Rumors of a new Trump travel ban had circulated following the attack in Colorado, with his administration vowing to pursue "terrorists" living in the US on visas. Suspect Mohammed Sabry Soliman is alleged to have thrown fire bombs and sprayed burning gasoline at a group of people who had gathered on Sunday in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. US Homeland Security officials said Soliman was in the country illegally, having overstayed a tourist visa, but that he had applied for asylum in September 2022. "President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm," White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said on X.


Arabian Business
2 hours ago
- Arabian Business
President Trump imposes ban on 12 countries from travel to the US
Saying 'we don't want them', President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, banned citizens of 12 countries from visiting the United States, and imposed new restrictions on seven other countries. The list of banned countries included: Afghanistan Chad Republic of Congo Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Myanmar Somalia Sudan Yemen Countries facing heightened restrictions include: Burundi Cuba Laos Sierra Leone Togo Turkmenistan Venezuela The ban goes into effect from Monday, June 9 at 12.01 am. The cushion period is to avoid the chaos at airports when President Trump had announced a similar measure during his first term in 2017 and implemented it with immediate effect. Donald Trump introduces US travel ban The decision came within days of Sunday's attack on a group of people in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national was arrested and charged. The Department of Homeland Security later said that the accused had overstayed the duration of his tourist visa. Egypt is not on the list of banned countries. In a video message, Trump said some countries had 'deficient' screening and vetting or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. He added: 'The recent terror attack in Boulder has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don't want them.' There are certain cases in which the US will make an exemption, and that includes green card holders, dual citizens who are American citizens as well, those seeking visas through connections to US family members, athletes (and their coaches and families) travelling to the US to play in major sporting events, and refugees who have been granted asylum. The exemption also applies to Afghans who helped the US and seek to enter under a special visa program. Trump wrote that Afghanistan 'lacks a competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and it does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures'. Reuters reported that Somalia has pledged to work with the US to address security issues. Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said: 'Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.' However, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the US government was fascist and warned Venezuelans of being in the US. They said: 'The truth is, being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans … They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason.'


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Putin could participate in Iran talks and will retaliate against Ukraine attack, Trump says
President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Wednesday, with the US leader saying the Russian President told him he wanted to participate in Iran nuclear talks and that he would retaliate against Ukraine's recent drone attack. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said that the phone call lasted more than hour, and that the two leaders agreed Iran could not have a nuclear weapon. "President Putin suggested that he will participate in the discussions with Iran and that he could, perhaps, be helpful in getting this brought to a rapid conclusion," Mr Trump said. "Time is running out on Iran's decision pertaining to nuclear weapons, which must be made quickly!" The post also said Iran has been "slow walking" talks. Iran and the US have been engaged in negotiations on a new deal that would put limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The US wants Iran to cease enriching uranium under a possible new deal, but Tehran says its programme is for civilian purposes and it has the right to continue. Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said a US proposal for a nuclear deal ran counter to Tehran's national interests, and that his country would not abandon uranium enrichment. Though Mr Trump said the call "was a good conversation", Mr Putin vowed to retaliate after Kyiv attacked Russian planes, and as a result, there would be no "immediate peace". Mr Putin "did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields", the US President wrote in his post. This is a stark turn around for Mr Trump, who took office this year on a promise to swiftly end the war in Ukraine. On Monday, delegates from Russia and Ukraine met briefly in Istanbul for a new round of talks. The day before, Kyiv unleashed a surprise drone offensive that hit Russian airfields across the country, taking out many heavy bombers and surveillance planes. The development comes after the White House on Tuesday confirmed that Mr Trump would attend the Nato summit this month, a meeting that is expected to be dominated by the war in Ukraine. The meetings will come shortly after Mr Trump is set to attend the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Canada, where allies are also expected to discuss ways to end the conflict. During a press briefing on Tuesday White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the President "remains positive at the progress" in the talks.