Bigger issues emerge as US updates travel advisory for South Africa
The latest level 2 travel advisory warning its citizens to be cautious when visiting the country, issued on May 27, comes hot on the heels of President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent visit to Washington where he and his delegation pleaded with Trump to reconsider some of his recent views about a white genocide in South Africa.
Image: Jim WATSON / AFP
The US government has revised its travel advisory to South Africa after President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Donald Trump at the White House, raising concerns that these may be further attempts to paint the country as a no-go zone.
This latest level 2 travel advisory warning its citizens to be cautious when visiting the country, issued on May 27, comes hot on the heels of Ramaphosa's recent visit to Washington where he and his delegation pleaded with Trump to reconsider some of his recent views about a white genocide in South Africa.
The advisory urges American citizens to exercise increased caution in South Africa due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
The Department of State also warns about the risk of terrorist violence and urges US Mission staff use fully armoured vehicles.
International relations expert Dr Noluthando Phungula said the US was trying to vilify South Africa as part of a bigger issue.
"We cannot deny crime remains a major challenge for the country, but the US is capitalising on this defect in painting SA as a no-go zone. Crime in this country remains a huge challenge which is closely tied to the stark inequalities. This reality continues to fuel the negative perceptions of the country," Phungula said.
South Africa has been added to the list alongside Namibia, Botswana, Belgium, Greenland, Denmark, and Germany. Level 2 indicates moderate risk, unlike Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisories issued for countries such as Sudan and the DRC.
The latest advisory comes more than a year after the US State Department issued another updated Level 2 travel advisory to South Africa in February 2024 in which it warned its citizens to exercise increased caution in the country due to crime and civil unrest.
Responding to the alert, Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille indicated that context is important as South Africa remains one of the most safe and stable countries in the world.
"We respect the sovereign right of all nations to provide guidance to their citizens travelling abroad. We also acknowledge the recent meeting between Presidents Ramaphosa and Trump and the subsequent media coverage that has followed. However, it is important to offer broader context and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all visitors to our country."
Political commentator, Thobani Zikalala has indicated that in spite of rampant crime in South Africa, the advisory has once again cast a negative shadow on the recent attempts by Ramaphosa to rekindle the country's relations with the Trump administration.
"While South Africa is trying to save its relations, the US continues long held assumptions about what is happening in the country. However, we cannot deny South Africa is a crime ridden society, the murder rate and violent crimes are high and government should do much more in capacitating the state and the police," he said.
Cape Argus
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Trump's new travel ban targeting 12 countries takes effect
A new travel ban signed by US President Donald Trump officially took effect today, Monday, 9 June. As reported by BBC , the travel ban essentially bars nationals from 12 countries from entering the US. These countries include: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Travellers from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela – will also face partial restrictions. According to reports, the White House said the so-called 'common sense restrictions' was meant to protect national security and prevent 'dangerous foreign actors' from entering the US. This also marks the second time Trump has implemented a broad travel ban. A similar policy was signed in 2017 during his first term, sparking widespread legal battles and protests. While the order is sweeping, it does include several exemptions. The travel ban does not apply to: Lawful permanent US residents (green card holders) Immediate family members of US residents who hold immigrant visas US government employees with Special Immigrant Visas Children being adopted by US citizens Dual nationals when the individual is not travelling on a passport from one of the affected countries Afghan nationals with Special Immigrant Visas Holders of 'immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran' Foreign nationals entering with specific non-immigrant visas Athletes, coaches, and support staff attending major sporting events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
Bigger issues emerge as US updates travel advisory for South Africa
The latest level 2 travel advisory warning its citizens to be cautious when visiting the country, issued on May 27, comes hot on the heels of President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent visit to Washington where he and his delegation pleaded with Trump to reconsider some of his recent views about a white genocide in South Africa. Image: Jim WATSON / AFP The US government has revised its travel advisory to South Africa after President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Donald Trump at the White House, raising concerns that these may be further attempts to paint the country as a no-go zone. This latest level 2 travel advisory warning its citizens to be cautious when visiting the country, issued on May 27, comes hot on the heels of Ramaphosa's recent visit to Washington where he and his delegation pleaded with Trump to reconsider some of his recent views about a white genocide in South Africa. The advisory urges American citizens to exercise increased caution in South Africa due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The Department of State also warns about the risk of terrorist violence and urges US Mission staff use fully armoured vehicles. International relations expert Dr Noluthando Phungula said the US was trying to vilify South Africa as part of a bigger issue. "We cannot deny crime remains a major challenge for the country, but the US is capitalising on this defect in painting SA as a no-go zone. Crime in this country remains a huge challenge which is closely tied to the stark inequalities. This reality continues to fuel the negative perceptions of the country," Phungula said. South Africa has been added to the list alongside Namibia, Botswana, Belgium, Greenland, Denmark, and Germany. Level 2 indicates moderate risk, unlike Level 4 'Do Not Travel' advisories issued for countries such as Sudan and the DRC. The latest advisory comes more than a year after the US State Department issued another updated Level 2 travel advisory to South Africa in February 2024 in which it warned its citizens to exercise increased caution in the country due to crime and civil unrest. Responding to the alert, Minister of Tourism, Patricia De Lille indicated that context is important as South Africa remains one of the most safe and stable countries in the world. "We respect the sovereign right of all nations to provide guidance to their citizens travelling abroad. We also acknowledge the recent meeting between Presidents Ramaphosa and Trump and the subsequent media coverage that has followed. However, it is important to offer broader context and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all visitors to our country." Political commentator, Thobani Zikalala has indicated that in spite of rampant crime in South Africa, the advisory has once again cast a negative shadow on the recent attempts by Ramaphosa to rekindle the country's relations with the Trump administration. "While South Africa is trying to save its relations, the US continues long held assumptions about what is happening in the country. However, we cannot deny South Africa is a crime ridden society, the murder rate and violent crimes are high and government should do much more in capacitating the state and the police," he said. Cape Argus
IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
Trump travel ban in effect, citizens from 12 nations barred from US
President Donald Trump's new travel ban took effect just after midnight on Monday, restricting entry to the US for citizens from 12 countries. This move revives a controversial policy from his first term. Image: Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP President Donald Trump's sweeping new travel ban came into effect early Monday immediately after midnight, barring citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States and reviving a divisive measure from his first term. The move is expected to disrupt refugee pathways and further restrict immigration as the Trump administration expands its crackdown on illegal entries. Many of the nations covered by the restrictions have adversarial relations with the United States, such as Iran and Afghanistan, while others face severe crises, like Haiti and Libya. In announcing his restrictions last week, Trump said the new measure was spurred by a recent "terrorist attack" on Jews in Colorado. The group had been protesting in solidarity with hostages held in Gaza when they were assaulted by a man the White House said had overstayed his visa. That attack, Trump said, "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted" or who overstay their visas. The move bans all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, according to the White House. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Trump also imposed a partial ban on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from those countries will be allowed. New countries could be added, Trump warned, "as threats emerge around the world." Mehria, a 23-year-old woman from Afghanistan who applied for refugee status, said the new rules have trapped her and many other Afghans in uncertainty. "We gave up thousands of hopes and our entire lives... on a promise from America, but today we are suffering one hell after another," she told AFP. World Cup, Olympics, diplomats excluded The ban will not apply to athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, or in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Trump's order said. Nor will it apply to diplomats from the targeted countries. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk warned that "the broad and sweeping nature of the new travel ban raises concerns from the perspective of international law." US Democratic lawmakers and elected officials blasted the ban as draconian and unconstitutional. "I know the pain that Trump's cruel and xenophobic travel bans inflict because my family has felt it firsthand," congresswoman Yassamin Ansari, who is Iranian-American, posted Sunday on X. "We will fight this ban with everything we have."
