Refusal of Visas by the United States of America to South African Citizens for Business Purposes or Visits to Friends

PUBLISHED ON INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NUMBER 17 OF 31 MAY 2005

FOR ORAL REPLY

QUESTION NO: 45

Dr S E M Pheko (PAC) to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs:

(1) Whether the she has taken up cases where South Africans have been refused visas to visit friends or to do business in the United States of America on the grounds that they would seek work or were terrorists; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

N1114E

REPLY:

(1) With respect to what the honourable member refers to as terrorists, presumably those who were cadres in the liberation movement, the response is the same as that given to his question 164 published in the Internal Question Paper Number 4 of 11 June 2004, I quote:

"The department is unaware of instances where such application (s) by former cadres of the liberation movements for a waiver of the visa denial have not been accepted. There were instances where non-governmental visa applications could not be processed on time due to the fact that application were made on the eve of the scheduled journey.

The US State department has also assured our Embassy in Washington that the problem is of a technical nature and that it is not intended as a reflection on the liberation movement's contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle at all."

With regards to the rejection of visa application on the basis of seeking employment, each country has its own rules and regulations regarding visa requirements. South Africans applying to the US or any other country for a visa must comply with those regulations.

END.