The United States 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.
“Violent crime is common and includes robbery, rape, carjacking and mugging. There are also “smash-and-grab” attacks on vehicles. Violent crime is more common in the downtown areas of big cities, especially after dark.
“Kidnapping is a threat in South Africa. Kidnappers target US citizens and other foreign travelers to steal money. Captors often force victims to withdraw cash or give online account passwords before they are let go. Though rare, some kidnappings involve demanding ransom from families,” it said.
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.
The reality is that there are numerous issues that have caused strain, including the Israel-Palestine conflict, BRICS expansion and perceived alignment with Russia and these differences may be well be among the reasons behind Washington’s lashing out against Pretoria.
“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.
Furthermore, the advisory states that there is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity, in South Africa.
“Due to the risks, U.S. government employees working in South Africa must obtain special authorisation to travel to many informal settlements (townships) in and around Cape Town. U.S. mission staff must use fully armoured vehicles when visiting and visiting hours are limited to 10am to 3pm,” it states.
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.
