Naledi Pandor, South Africa’s former Minister of International Relations, has had her U.S. visa cancelled. She confirmed receiving an email from the U.S. Consulate informed her of the revocation, which offered no explanation.
Pandor, who retired from politics last year and now chairs the Nelson Mandela Foundation, had been issued a multiple-entry visitor visa for short-term stays in the United States. She returned from her most recent U.S. trip this week. “I’ve no understanding of why my visa has been revoked. There’s no explanation offered. According to the section mentioned in the email, no reasons need to be provided by the United States,” Pandor noted.
The former minister has been a vocal supporter of Palestine and was instrumental in South Africa filing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, a position opposed by the U.S. government. Various groups have also criticized her for engaging with pro-Palestinian states and meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a discussion framed as humanitarian, which drew Washington’s ire.
Pandor’s visa was revoked a week before the recent diplomatic friction surrounding the G20 Summit. Disagreements over U.S. representation at the Johannesburg gathering escalated tensions, with President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly challenging the U.S. government’s plan to send a low-level delegation for the ceremonial handover of the G20 Presidency, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Ramaphosa for comments on U.S. participation.
Pandor emphasized the importance of diplomacy in managing South Africa–U.S. relations, pointing out that the country has been “a good partner to the United States of America” and stressing that officials must work to clarify and provide accurate information on South Africa’s positions, especially on issues that have been widely misunderstood.
The former minister said she is still weighing whether it would be worthwhile to reapply for a visa and attend an interview, adding that she is unsure what the outcome might be.
