South Africa was plunged into a diplomatic row yesterday after the Government barred the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, from entering the country to take part in a peace conference linked to the 2010 football World Cup.

The decision, confirmed to The Times by senior government officials, was met with outrage by his fellow Nobel peace laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the former President F. W. de Klerk, who are organising the conference on March 27 with the Norwegian Nobel Peace Committee.

Archbishop Tutu urged the Government, which has close ties to China, to reconsider its “disgraceful” decision and threatened to boycott the meeting, planned to promote the first World Cup tournament to be held in Africa.

“If His Holiness’s visa is refused, then I won’t take part in the upcoming 2010 World Cup-related peace conference. I will condemn the Government’s behaviour as disgraceful, in line with our abysmal record at the UN Security Council, a total betrayal of our struggle history,” he said from California, where he is on a visit. “We are shamelessly succumbing to Chinese pressure. I feel deeply distressed and ashamed.” South Africa vetoed proposals for tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe and Burma when it occupied a non-permanent seat on the Security Council last year.

An invitation to the conference was also issued in the name of Nelson Mandela, another laureate. He has not yet reacted to the Government’s decision.

A senior presidential aide told The Times that the Dalai Lama’s presence in the country “would not be welcome as it would divert attention away from the World Cup” towards the Tibet issue. “We have nothing against him but we have a key strategic relationship with China and we would really not want to do anything to jeopardise that,” he said.

Dave Steward, a spokesman for the F. W. de Klerk Foundation, said that the former President, who freed Mr Mandela after 27 years of prison and ended apartheid, had expressed concern to the presidency and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

“If the visa is not granted then Mr de Klerk and other laureates will reconsider their participation. This would not be a good thing for South Africa and the World Cup,” Mr Steward said.

Ronnie Mamoepa, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, told The Times: “The Government is involved in organising this function and is responsible for issuing invitations. If you have not been invited to a party you cannot say you have been prevented from coming.” The Dalai Lama, who is honorary co-chairman of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, was denied travel documents on March 4. The Chinese Embassy in South Africa has confirmed that its Government appealed to South Africa not to allow the Dalai Lama into the country.

South Africa is China’s main trading partner in Africa and accounts for more than 20 per cent of Beijing’s trade with the continent. Chinese investment in South Africa in the past two years has grown to $6 billion (£4.9 billion).

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