US revokes visa of former South African minister who initiated genocide case against Israel

The United States revoked the visa of South Africa's former international relations minister Naledi Pandor earlier this week, in what is being seen as the latest effort by Washington to punish Pretoria for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the charge of genocide.

The development, which Pandor announced on Thursday, comes just days before Johannesburg hosts the G20 Leaders' Summit - an event already marred by the US's decision to send a low-level delegation, instead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Pandor, who headed South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation between 2019 and 2024, and is widely credited for spearheading the country's case against Israel at the ICJ, told local media that she had received an email from the US Consulate stating that her visa had been cancelled with immediate effect. 

"I've no understanding of why my visa has been revoked.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," she told Eyewitness News.

According to the report, Pandor had been granted a multiple-entry visitor's visa for short-term stays in the US where her daughter lives.

The revocation of Pandor's visa follows diplomatic, financial and political pressure exerted on Pretoria over the past two years by both the Biden and Trump administrations.

In January 2024, the Biden administration described Pretoria's case against Israel as "meritless".

"We find this submission meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever," the then National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said at the time.

In its application, South Africa said Israel's actions in Gaza were "genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group".

What happened to South Africa’s case at the ICJ?

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On three occasions, the ICJ expressed provisional measures ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts, ensure unhindered delivery of aid and basic services, and immediately halt its military operations in Rafah.

Though the orders are legally binding, Israel failed to comply with any of them.

Since assuming office in January, the Trump administration also targeted South Africa, with Washington suspending various forms of aid over its foreign policy pursuits.

"The United States cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests," said the White House at the time.

In March, the Trump administration also expelled South Africa's ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, after his remarks at a seminar in South Africa.

Washington has also broadened its criticism of Pretoria by claiming South Africa has discriminatory land policies. These claims led to Trump granting political asylum to hundreds of Afrikaners over the false charge of a "white genocide".

Character assassination

Pandor, a longtime proponent of the Palestinian cause and an outspoken critic of the US and Israeli government, has subsequently found herself accused of being of a lackey of Iran. 

Since Pretoria took Israel to the ICJ, the former minister has been the subject of character assassination across large swathes of conservative and right-wing media.

In March 2024, the Heritage Foundation, an American right-wing think tank, published an article that argued that "South Africa would restore a modicum of bilateral trust with the United States by scrapping its libelous accusation against Israel for breach of the Genocide Convention, but that would require a sea change in the country’s foreign policy DNA that has taken decades to form and become deeply invested in supporting America’s adversaries".

The article added: "It is unlikely to change soon. As such, the United States has no obligation to finance countries, such as South Africa, that work in opposition to its national security and allies' security interests. It is time to turn off the aid spigot to South Africa."

In October 2024, around 160 lawyers wrote a letter to the then secretary of state, Antony Blinken, accusing the South African government of taking the case to the ICJ in return for a bribe.

The letter, organised by the Israeli Law Centre, also accused the South African government of being close to Hamas.

Middle East Eye contacted Pandor and the US state department for comment but received no response by the time of publication.