The DA will launch an online petition appealing to the South African government to provide the Dalai Lama with a visa to enter the country to attend the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, taking place in Cape Town next month.

This petition will, in due course, be tabled before Parliament, so that Members of Parliament can intervene in what has become another internationally embarrassing incident caused by our government.

Indeed, just this week, fourteen Nobel Peace Laureates have appealed to President Zuma to guarantee His Holiness the Dalai Lama a visa to enter the country next month. The fact that such an intervention is necessary has damaging consequences for our country’s reputation and specifically our commitment to human rights.

This continual blocking of visits by the Dalai Lama is clearly being influenced by Luthuli House’s close ties with the Chinese government. This is a clear violation of South Africa’s well established human rights-based foreign policy.

As such the DA appeals to President Zuma and his government to reconsider their position on this matter and grant the spiritual leader access to our country so he can attend an event to celebrate icons of peace.

It is important that South Africa sends a strong message that we remain committed to a human-rights based foreign policy and that we support proponents of peace and tolerance.

We trust that the South African will respond favourably to our petition and trust that our government will heed the calls of many South Africans who see His Holiness’s visit as an honour for South Africa.  

Should they not, the DA will make use of every mechanism in Parliament to make sure that they answer to the people for this unacceptable and condemnable conduct.

Issued by the DA