South Africa’s Foreign Ministry has criticised the United States over new visa restrictions imposed on some South African nationals.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry expressed concern over the restrictions announced a day earlier by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The South African government said the decision appeared to be based on what it described as a mischaracterisation of the country’s domestic policies by fringe groups.

“We maintain that challenges in our bilateral relations with the USA can only be resolved by constructive engagement through state actors on both sides of the diplomatic channel, not unilateral acts,” the ministry said.

The latest development comes amid growing diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Washington over several issues, including South Africa’s domestic policies and its positions on international affairs.

The South African government maintained that differences between both countries should be addressed through diplomatic engagement rather than unilateral measures.