No, South Africa is not “punished” for discovering the Omikron variant.
The travel restrictions that many other states have imposed on the country and its neighbors are a legitimate precaution.
After two years of pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) should have realized that it is not insignificant how quickly the coronavirus spreads around the world, especially newer types of it. The argument that the entry cannot be completely avoided is correct, but only half the story. A country like Germany, for example, whose intensive capacities are reaching the limit (through its own fault), should do everything possible to delay the spread of a new variant that is possibly more contagious.
Like other government interventions, travel restrictions have been politically controversial since the beginning of the pandemic.
Nevertheless, they are part of the toolbox in the fight against Corona all over the world.
If fundamental rights are massively restricted, there is no reason to treat freedom of travel as a dogma.
According to the WHO, it is unlikely that other countries would hesitate to report new variants after South Africa's experience.
In the end, every government has an interest in fighting the disease.
And variants do not remain undiscovered anyway, there are laboratories everywhere.