The Supreme Court of Appeal has just stated that the South African government acted unlawfully when it delayed a decision on a visa application by the Dalai Lama.

Do you remember the saga about the fact that the Dalai Lama couldn’t come to South Africa to celebrate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday in October last year because he couldn’t get a visa in time?

Well, the Supreme Court of Appeal has today ruled that it was all former home affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s fault because she unreasonably delayed the decision.

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a long-time friend of the Dalai Lama, and Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota had launched the appeal after an earlier decision by the Western Cape High Court had dismissed with costs an application on whether it had been constitutional for the government not to grant a visa to the Dalai Lama.

At the time, Tutu was fuming and accused the current government of being worse than the apartheid-era one.

[Source: M&G]