SA diplomats must apply for UK visas

2009-10-09 22:09

Johannesburg - South Africa's diplomats are not excluded from the UK's visa policy, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Friday.

Speaking at a press briefing after her meeting with Business Unity South Africa (Busa) in Sandton, Dlamini-Zuma said all South African passport holders were required to apply for a UK visa.

"All passports are affected," she said. "There is no one who is unaffected.

Dlamini-Zuma said the department had asked the UK government whether there was a problem with any South African diplomatic or official passports.

"They said it is just policy, that once they introduce a visa they do it across the board," she said.

She said the UK visas were a concern to her department.

The department was looking to change a number of its processes to turn around service delivery as well as to increase security.

"We have no choice to turn around as quickly and effectively as possible. We can only do that with the help and partnerships with stakeholders," she said.

- SAPA