SA not affected by US travel ban

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s ban on refugees from several Muslim majority countries has not yet affected South Africa.

According to the Department of Home Affairs and the Muslim Judicial Council there have been no problems for South African citizens reported yet.

The order, which was signed over the weekend by Trump and referred to as a “Muslim ban” by the US media‚ stopped people from entering the USA‚ even with a valid visa.

It affected people from seven countries, including Somalia‚ Libya‚ and Sudan, but was temporarily halted by a court order which deemed it unconstitutional.

Department of Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni said South Africa was not on the list of banned countries and they weren’t aware of any incidents involving South Africans.

He said it would be a “grave mistake” to discriminate against South Africans based on their appearance because South Africans were free to choose which faith to follow.

“In South Africa we are a diverse community. We don’t separate people and say you are a white South African‚ you are a black South African‚ you are a Muslim South African. We are just South African people‚” said Apleni.

“I don’t know how they would say ‘no‚ this one is a Muslim’‚ by looking at their face. Because there are Muslims who are black people‚ there are Muslims who are white people‚” he said.

MJC spokesperson Shuaib Appleby said that the South African government and society had a different political past with regards to interfaith relations.

“Our South African situation is different from what you find in America. Our foreign policy is based on ubuntu‚” he said. — TMG