News Articles

Visa-free travel to US? Not a chance

Source: Cape Argus, 08/02/2017


A story that stating that President Donald Trump signed a visa-free
travel agreement for South Africa was later slammed as fake news.


Picture: Independent Media
Cape Town â€" Just for a few minutes this week, some South Africans
celebrated newly elected US President Donald Trump after reading a
story in which Trump signed an executive order granting South Africans
visa-free travel to the US.


The story that caused a stir appeared on a website, USA Television.



It stated that a new executive order would permit SA-passport holders
to stay “in the US for a maximum period of 180 days for tourism or
business purposes only”. It further explained that should South
Africans stay beyond 180 days, they would still require a visa.


However, South Africans with dual nationality from Syria, Iran, Iraq,
Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen â€" the seven nations whose US visas
Trump recently revoked â€" would not qualify for the visa waiver.


“Trump says this measure is to strengthen trade between the US and
South Africa,” the story said.


Many locals rejoiced at the news, sharing it online, but a few were
able to realise it was fake.


One Twitter user enquired from the official Home Affairs account: “Is
the information true that Trump has signed a visa-free travel
agreement for SA?”


Mayihlome Tshwete, a spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Malusi
Gigaba, said: “I don’t want to comment on fake news as it only draws
more attention to it.” .


Professor Herman Wasserman, from the UCT media studies department, has
stressed that South Africans need to be more vigilant about news they
consume.


“With the shift to new media, social media is one of the main reasons
for fake news,” he said.

Cape Argus


Search
South Africa Immigration Company