Health Minister Barbara Hogan's comments about the decision to deny the Dalai Lama a visa for South Africa were rather unfortunate, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Wednesday.

The decision had been made by government, of which Hogan was a member, and she was wrong to have criticised it on a public platform, he told a media briefing.

The matter would need attention in the near future, Maseko said.

On Tuesday, Hogan added her voice to a chorus of criticism of the move by the South African government to deny the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the now postponed peace conference.

The Tibetan spiritual leader was to have addressed the conference, aimed at thrashing out ways of using football to fight racism and xenophobia ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

"Just the very fact that this government has refused entry to the Dalai Lama is an example of a government who is dismissive of human rights," said Hogan.

"I believe [the government] needs to apologise to the citizens of this country, because it is in your name that this great man who has struggled for the rights of his country... has been denied access."

The Dalai Lama was refused entry because government said his presence would draw the world's attention away from World Cup preparations.