South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola is using the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting to kill two birds with one stone: to lead his country’s delegation to the key UN indaba and to try to mend bridges between Pretoria and Washington.
Lamola, who has been in Washington DC since Thursday, is on a working visit for UN General Assembly business while at the same time he has lined up meetings with key decision makers such as diplomats and US lawmakers.
The visit comes in the wake of last week’s move by President Donald Trump’s government to slap visa regulations targeting South African government officials that the US accuses of racial discrimination.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the new visa regime was over the country’s transformation policies as well as unfounded claims of a persecution of Afrikaners and minority groups.
JN/APA