JOHANNESBURG, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The South African government has refused to grant a visa to the Dalai Lama, who was to attend a peace conference in Johannesburg on Friday, spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa of the South African Department of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

    "As far as the South African government is concerned, no invitation was extended to the Dalai Lama to visit South Africa," Mamoepa said, "So therefore, the question of the visas doesn't exist."

    "Our position and approach is that we have not invited the Dalai Lama to visit South Africa," he added.

    Asked if the government had been asked by the Chinese government not to grant a visa to the Dalai Lama, Mamoepa said it was an independent and sovereign decision of the country.

    The Dalai Lama has visited South Africa twice before. In 1999, he took part in the World Parliament of Religions and met with then President Thabo Mbeki.

    In 2004, the Dalai Lama visited South Africa again as a "guest" of the African Cultural Heritage Trust.