The Presidency says comments by Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, where she blamed government for the cancellation of the 14th World Summit of Nobel Laureates, are inaccurate and misleading.

On Thursday, De Lille announced the decision to suspend the summit, saying the decision was taken because of government's seeming reluctance to grant the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a visa.

The spiritual leader was scheduled to attend a summit that would have brought together more than 14 other Nobel Peace Laureates in Cape Town, which was scheduled to take place in two weeks’ time.

But several Nobel Laureates cancelled their participation in the summit following the Dalai Lama's cancellation of his trip.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has maintained that the visa application for the Dalai Lama was withdrawn by his office at the point when it was being considered.

Reacting to the accusation by De Lille, Presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj said: “We take strong exception to the utterances of the Mayor of Cape Town, which have cast aspersions on the integrity of the South African government and the country.”

Maharaj reiterated that the South African government was informed by the spiritual leader’s office that he will not be attending the summit, thus effectively cancelling his visa application.

“We pride ourselves in South Africa of having produced Nobel Laureates and hold all Laureates in the world in the highest regard.”

The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, meanwhile, has welcomed the clarification provided on the debacle, saying that South Africa’s sovereignty from all persuasions is paramount.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Siphosezwe Masango, said the perception that China dictates to South Africa on the basis of trade relations is wrong and unfounded.

“China is a trade partner of South Africa, as is the US, and that should not influence who the country befriends,” Masango said.

He said the country reserves the right to decide who it allows into its territory, as long such a person satisfied the minimum requirements of visiting.

“It would have been unjust to block the Dalai Lama into South Africa, as there would be no grounds for such an action. Trade with the Far East and any other strategic trading partner does not and should not mean China’s adversaries are South Africa’s,” Masango said.

“Opposition parties and civil society should refrain from bad-mouthing South African diplomacy for political expediency. Rather, they should market the country as the best possible destination and a champion in resolving matters threatening world stability,” he said.