President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on Wednesday that he would meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the United Kingdom placed tough travel restrictions on South Africans.
South Africa has been placed on the UK’s coronavirus “red list,” forcing visitors to pay for a costly hotel quarantine upon arrival.
“I believe this is the most awful circumstance that we have been exposed to in terms of the UK putting us on a red list,” Ramaphosa said during a press conference.
He said, “I’m due to speak with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.”
He insisted, though, that South Africa was not seeking vengeance for the blacklisting, which has crippled tourism, a critical sector that directly accounts for three percent of the country’s GDP.
“We don’t feel compelled to retaliate… because the United Kingdom is one of South Africa’s most important commercial partners.”
“Rather, we should engage, and through our involvement, we hope to find a solution,” he added, emphasizing that the decision to implement the travel restrictions was based on science rather than politics.
Before the pandemic, South Africa received more than 400,000 visitors per year from the former colonial power, more than any other country on the continent.