SA to talk to UK, EU over travel ban

Family at OR Tambo airport,The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa required all passengers under 18 to travel with an Unabridged Birth Certificate.976 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 2015/06/01

Family at OR Tambo airport,The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa required all passengers under 18 to travel with an Unabridged Birth Certificate.976 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 2015/06/01

Published Nov 26, 2021

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Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla says they will talk to the UK and other countries in Europe who imposed a travel ban to reconsider their decision.

He said South Africa had an open-door policy.

Scientists also slammed the decision saying South Africa was punished for the wrong reasons.

Phaahla said the World Health Organization (WHO) would also be roped in to help in the discussions with countries who put South Africa on the red list.

The UK led the way when it announced that South Africa was on its red list because of a new variant.

However, Phaahla said scientists were doing their job when they uncovered the variant and the country cannot be punished for this.

He said measures would be taken to try and get the country off the red list.

“What do we do to be removed? We will continue to engage. Now that this has happened our door is open. We will invite those who have taken this kind of step to come back to the discussion and look at the logic. Hopefully, bodies like the WHO will assist in breathing sober air of consideration to those countries who have taken such steps,” said Phaahla.

He said they believe South Africa was being punished for the wrong reasons.

The country had done the right thing by announcing the new variant. However, this has caused it trouble with the UK, the EU and other countries now imposing a travel ban.

Phaahla called on these countries to work with South Africa because their decision on the travel ban was counter-productive.

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POLITICAL BUREAU