This Politician Says the UK Treats South African Travelers Like 'Terrorists'

Bantu Holomisa, the leader of the opposition party United Democratic Movement (UDM),has criticized the UK for their strict traveling restrictions around South African travelers. Holomisa says the UK treats South African travelers like 'terrorists' although South Africa is committed to allowing travelers from the UK visa-free entry into the country, according to Business Tech.

In a statement released earlier this week by the UDM, the party says the following:

"Rightly or wrongly, there seem to have been a taint of distrust of South Africans that arose around 2008/9. 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 penalizes South Africans and virtually, still brands us (as a nation) as potential terrorists. 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."

South African travelers did not always require visas to enter the UK. However, close to a decade ago, there were a number of incidents involving fraudulent South African passports which subsequently led to visa-free entry being revoked by the British government altogether. According to The South African, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has commented on the matter in the past saying that the UK needs to revisit its traveling restrictions following security upgrades on South African passports.

South Africa is reportedly working with other governments to allow their citizens to enter into South Africa visa-free although that does not necessarily mean South Africans will be able to do the same.