Former South African international relations minister’s US visa revoked
Former South African international relations minister’s US visa revoked, sparking a fresh diplomatic controversy between Pretoria and Washington. Naledi Pandor, a veteran of the African National Congress and the current chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, confirmed the development to local media this week, revealing that her ability to travel to the United States has been summarily terminated.
The revocation comes at a time of heightened friction in South Africa US relations, following a year defined by sharp ideological disagreements over the conflict in Gaza and the broader geopolitical direction of the Global South.
“No Reason Provided”
Pandor told EWN and The Citizen that she received an email from the US Consulate in Cape Town shortly after returning from a trip to the US this week. The correspondence was brief and bureaucratic, informing her that the multiple-entry visitor visa issued in 2024 was no longer valid and that she would need to reapply if she wished to enter the country again.
“I have no idea what may have prompted the decision,” Pandor said. However, she alleged that there has been a lobby group that has been writing to the US government urging officials to deny her entry, a claim that aligns with the intense criticism she faced from pro-Israel advocacy groups during her tenure.
Pandor said she is still weighing whether to apply for a new visa.
“I’m still thinking through whether there’s any merit in me reapplying and having an interview. I don’t know what the content of that might be,” she told EWN.
The Cost of Principled Stances?
While the US State Department rarely comments on individual visa cases due to privacy laws, the timing of the revocation points to political motivations. Various groups have accused Naledi Pandor of aligning herself with pro-Palestinian states such as Iran and Qatar during her ministerial tenure.
A long-time advocate for Palestine, Pandor became a prominent international figure when South Africa brought its genocide case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) while she headed the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). This move infuriated Washington, which described the case as “meritless” and “counterproductive.”
Naledi Pandor has repeatedly condemned the US for its unwavering support of Israel, describing it as enabling “genocide” and “imperialism” in Gaza and the broader Middle East. Her critique has often been blistering, arguing that the US’s veto power and “double standards” in applying international law undermine global justice.
A specific flashpoint was her 2023 phone call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh shortly after the October 7 attacks. While Pandor framed the call as a humanitarian discussion regarding hostages and aid, it drew US ire, as Hamas is designated a terrorist group by Washington. This escalated tensions, with Pandor defending it as principled engagement, not endorsement.
A Shifting United States
Since stepping down from politics, Pandor has not retreated from the global stage. She has travelled to the US twice in 2025, mainly to meet with Justice for All, an organisation campaigning around conditions in Gaza and drawing parallels with apartheid-era South Africa.
She also delivered the keynote address at the United Nations on International Nelson Mandela Day in July. In her UN address, Pandor urged world leaders to “make good trouble” in pursuit of justice.
“Mandela was a troublemaker. The kind of good troublemaker that we need more of in the world today,” she said, adding that Madiba challenged systems of oppression that benefited a powerful few.
This “good trouble,” however, appears to have crossed a red line for US officials
Tectonic Shifts and Future Threats
In a September lecture at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Pandor argued the US could no longer be viewed as the world’s leading democracy and had become both a domestic irritant and a global threat. She described the “tectonic shift” inside the US as part of broader geopolitical turmoil.
While avoiding direct reference to President Donald Trump, unlike former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, she observed that Trump has “a clear purpose and vision.”
This, according to Pandor, is “to make America great again by punishing other states, using military and economic might, and somehow convincing the working-class majority that every reversal is temporary… and will eventually guarantee greatness.”
Broader Implications for SA-US Relations
The revocation of Naledi Pandor‘s visa is not an isolated incident; it is a symptom of a deteriorating relationship. It follows a week of diplomatic spats, including the US downgrading its delegation to the G20 Summit in South Africa and aggressive rhetoric from the White House regarding President Ramaphosa’s leadership.
Critics argue that the US is weaponizing its visa system to punish dissenters who challenge its foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel. Supporters of the decision, however, argue that sovereign nations have the right to deny entry to individuals they believe undermine their national security or foreign policy interests.
For Pandor, the visa ban may be a badge of honor, reinforcing her status as a voice for the Global South. But for South Africa US relations, it is another crack in a fragile foundation that may take years to repair.
Here are two references from mainstream media confirming the revocation of Naledi Pandor’s US visa:
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The Citizen
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Headline: US revokes Naledi Pandor’s visa despite warming up to G20 participation
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Date: November 21, 2025
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Link: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/us-revokes-naledi-pandors-visa-despite-g20/
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Middle East Eye
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Headline: US revokes visa of former South African minister who initiated genocide case against Israel
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Date: November 21, 2025
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