President Cyril Ramaphosa has slammed several countries’ rushed decision to impose travel bans on South Africa after scientists announced that a new Covid-19 variant has been detected.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation(Dirco) says South Africa is being punished for leading science by identifying the new variant.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Africa echoed this, saying Africa is being punished for its transparency in Covid-19 research and that other countries which detected Omicron are not imposed with the same restrictions

Pretoria has already begun engaging countries that have imposed travel bans with the view to persuade them to reconsider.

Guest: Clayson Monyela, Head of Public Diplomacy – Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)