US condemns South Africa over 'harassment' of its officials, South Africa denies claims

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US on Thursday condemned what it called “harassment” of its officials after South Africa detained and moved to deport seven Kenyan nationals allegedly working illegally to process refugee applications for white Afrikaners — an action Pretoria has defended as routine immigration enforcement and a matter of sovereignty.

“The U.S. condemns in the strongest terms the South African government’s recent detention of U.S. officials performing their duties to provide humanitarian support to Afrikaners. Furthermore, the public release of our U.S. officials’ passport information is an unacceptable form of harassment,” the State Department said in a statement.

“We call on the Government of South Africa to take immediate action to bring this situation under control and hold those responsible accountable,” it added.

South Africa's Interior Ministry announced the deportation of the Kenyan nationals in a statement on Wednesday, saying authorities found them working illegally on applications for white Afrikaners seeking refugee status in the US.

“No US officials were arrested in the process, the operation was not conducted at a diplomatic site, and no members of the public or prospective ‘refugees’ were harassed,” the Interior Ministry said, questioning the intent of foreign officials allegedly coordinating with undocumented workers.

The Trump administration announced the lowest refugee admission ceiling in the country’s history in late October, limiting entry to just 7,500 people for the 2026 fiscal year, with priority given to white Afrikaners from South Africa.

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated sharply in 2025, with US President Donald Trump expelling South Africa’s ambassador, excluding the country from the Miami G20, and claiming that the country is persecuting white Afrikaners. The South African government has strongly rejected the claims.

Later, South Africa's Foreign Ministry responded to the US statement, saying that Pretoria's actions were in line with its immigration laws after authorities found that the Kenyan nationals were working without the required permits.

It said the country would “not negotiate its sovereignty and the implementation of the rule of law.”

The ministry also rejected the "unsubstantiated allegation" involving the release of US officials’ private information, stressing that South Africa handles data security issues with strict legal and diplomatic safeguards.

“We categorically reject any suggestion of state involvement in such actions,” it added.

South Africa remains committed to “principled and transparent diplomacy,” it said, engaging Washington through official channels to “seek clarity on this allegation and to reinforce that our bilateral engagements must be grounded in mutual respect and factual dialogue.”