Kenya threatens to hit back
AFRICAN leaders are up in arms over South Africa’s controversial new immigration regulations.
The Sunday Times has learnt that a number of foreign ministers who met International Relations Minister Maite NkoanaMashabane this week complained about the stringent visa and travel regulations.
Among them was Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed, who in a bilateral meeting with Nkoana-Mashabane threatened Pretoria with similarly strict visa rules in retaliation.
Any traveller who wants to apply for a visa to South Africa must personally visit an embassy or high commission and can no longer apply through a third party. Those travelling with minors must be in possession of an unabridged birth certificate and a letter from parents authorising the child’s trip.
“The Kenyans are furious. Just imagine how inconvenient the rules are in countries where we have only one mission,” said a South African diplomat who was part of the meetings.
Nkoana-Mashabane is said to have asked Mohamed to be patient because the issue would be reviewed by the cabinet. On Thursday, however, it was announced that the cabinet had accepted the new regulations.
Mohamed did not deny making the threat when contacted for comment. She promised to talk to the Sunday Times about her concerns, but failed to attend a planned meeting with the newspaper.
Officials in the corridors of the meetings said the new regulations had come up for discussion, with most agreeing that movement between African countries should be made easier.
“We need to look at the example of countries like Rwanda. You present yourself there and you get a visa,” said the AU commissioner for social affairs, Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko.
A Zambian diplomat said there were concerns in his country about the new laws.
“We raised this matter in the meeting of permanent represen- tatives. We are talking about opening our borders but South Africa seems to be closing its borders,” he said.
Approached for comment, Nkoana-Mashabane said: “We are engaging to making free movement of goods and people to each other’s countries more workable. The issue of migration and the movement of goods and services is on the agenda.”
Mayihlome Tshwete, spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, said people from Kenya, Zambia and other African countries were complying with the new rules.
“We’ve had hundreds of people who have complied. Some of them don’t have visa requirements. If they come with a child they just have to bring their unabridged birth certificates. We can’t allow any child without the right documents.”
He dismissed suggestions that the new laws had reduced the number of tourists visiting the country. “It’s too early to judge whether the new legislation has had the type of impact it is purported to have had.”
A diplomat from Somalia said his country supported South Africa’s new stance. “We believe it’s aimed at curbing child trafficking. It will also crack down on people who enter the country illegally. We have a lot of Somalis living in this country and they have no problem with the new regulations,” he said.