S. Africa not to relax immigration rule: minister

South Africa will not relax its new immigration rule despite mounting criticism, Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba said Tuesday.

"We understand the views of different parties, but as for home affairs, we have to make a balance between economic development and national security," Gigaba told reporters.

The minister denied reports that the government would relax its the immigration rule that took effect in May last year.

One of the biggest changes in the new immigration regulation is that visa application or extension can only be made at institutions abroad where details are biomedically captured and visas are collected in person.

The regulation has reportedly left a negative impact on tourism, causing a reduced inflow of tourists from foreign countries.

South Africa would provide the tourists with more consular services instead of relaxing the visa requirement, Gigaba said.

He said South Africa would increase the number of visa application centers abroad, particularly in India and China, where there are only two centers each.

The number of visitors from China has grown by 235 percent in the past five years, and those from India grown by almost 80 percent, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Speaking of the new rule's impact on tourism, Gigaba said the government cannot elevate the concerns of the industry above the concerns of the security sector.

What happened in Kenya and Nigeria did indicate that South Africa must be alert, he said in reference to the terror attacks in the two countries. Endi