Johannesburg – The United States government has declined to explain why it cancelled the visa of former South African international relations minister Naledi Pandor, a development that surfaced this week as Johannesburg prepared to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Pandor, who chairs the Nelson Mandela Foundation and has travelled to the US many times, confirmed to South African media that she received an email from the US Consulate informing her that her visa had been revoked. She said the message offered no explanation and arrived shortly after she returned from her most recent visit to the country.
A spokesperson for the US government said visa information is confidential under American law and that the details of her case would not be disclosed. The spokesperson added that visas are considered a privilege and can be withdrawn whenever circumstances allow.
The timing of the decision raised questions in diplomatic circles, particularly as the G20 summit opened in Johannesburg today. The event has already drawn scrutiny over Washington’s choice to send a low level delegation instead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. South Africa also announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa would not hand over the G20 presidency to the US chargé d’affaires Marc D Dillard.
Civil society voices in South Africa linked the move to Pandor’s long standing advocacy for Palestinian rights. Ahmed Kathrada Foundation executive director Neeshan Balton said Pandor fits into a pattern of individuals denied entry to the US after taking public positions on the Middle East. He also noted her prominent role in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Earlier this month, former Jewish Board of Deputies member Lawrence Nowosenetz wrote to the US government, accusing Pandor of aligning with pro Palestinian states during her years at the helm of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Pandor has maintained a global profile since leaving office, including delivering a keynote address at the United Nations in New York in July 2025, where she urged world leaders and institutions to pursue deeper justice.
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