As South Africa delays visa,Dalai Lama cancels his trip

The Tibetan spiritual leader was scheduled to visit South Africa to receive an international peace award named after Mahatma Gandhi.

With the South African government yet to decide on granting him a visa,the Dalai Lama on Tuesday cancelled his visit to the country,saying that he did not want to cause any inconvenience to anybody. The Tibetan spiritual leader was scheduled to visit South Africa to receive an international peace award named after Mahatma Gandhi.

When contacted,the South African High Commissioner to India,Harris Mbulelo Sithembile Majeke,told The Indian Express: We are still waiting for our Capital to tell us if the visa is to be issued. I cannot take a decision.

He added that the Dalai Lamas office had not yet informed the High Commission that they are withdrawing the visa application. We have not been told anything about the cancellation of his trip, he said.

According to the Dalai Lamas office in New Delhi,he was scheduled to visit South Africa on October 6 for nine days. While his office submitted the visa application in the last week of August,the visa was not granted so far.

Besides receiving the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation,the Dalai Lama was also scheduled to participate in the 80th birthday celebrations of fellow Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

His Holiness (Dalai Lama) does not intent to cause any inconvenience to anybody. If a nation does not want him to be entering their territory,he does not wish to rake up any issue. Thus,he decided not to go there. In any case,he is just spreading the message of peace and harmony to the entire world, said Tempa Tsering,representative of the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.

His Holiness was to depart for South Africa on October 6 but visas have not been granted yet. We are,therefore,now convinced that for whatever reason or reasons,the South African government finds it inconvenient to issue visa to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, said the statement issued by Dalai Lamas office.

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His Holiness has thus decided to call off his upcoming visit to South Africa. And,he regrets the inconveniences caused to his hosts and the large number of South African public who were keenly waiting to receive him and hear his message, it added.