UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has requested that the UK drop its strict restrictions around South African travellers.<\/p>\n
In a statement<\/a> <\/strong>published this week, Holomisa said that these restrictions are in place due to security concerns.<\/p>\n However, he noted that South Africa is still committed to freely welcome UK travellers and business-people to the country without requiring visas.<\/p>\n “Rightly or wrongly, there seem to have been a taint of distrust of South Africans that arose around 2008\/9.<\/p>\n “Much has changed since then, and one would argue that the time has come for the British and South African governments to reassess, and to alleviate a situation that by design unfairly penalises South Africans and virtually, still brands us (as a nation) as potential terrorists.<\/p>\n “The United Democratic Movement calls upon the South African government to sit down with their British counterparts to re-evaluate and to ascertain whether the reasons for their decision still stand.”<\/p>\n Holomisa also requested that the British government publish the details on where these security concerns still exist.<\/p>\n Visa-free<\/strong><\/p>\n These issues have been echoed by Home Affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who said that South Africans should be given visa-free access to the UK after tightening up security around its passport.<\/p>\n