Former South African Foreign Minister’s U.S. Visa Revoked

“She led South Africa to sue Israel for genocide,” read a flyer for a recent appearance by Naledi Pandor in Houston. Don’t expect another U.S. speech in the near future from the former South African foreign minister. Pandor said the United States revoked her visa following a November visit.

Pandor Touts Anti-Israel Efforts in U.S. Tours

Pandor embarked on two U.S. tours in 2025 that centered around her campaign to cast Israel’s war against Hamas as genocide. In mid-July, she spoke at events in New York, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and Missouri through Justice for All and Sound Vision, two organizations led by Abdul Malik Mujahid. Mujahid has a long history of leadership in Islamist groups, both in Pakistan and in the United States. Mujahid again invited Pandor to headline an event in November for the launch of Muslim Network TV, another project of his.

Pandor’s Anti-Israel Hostility in Office

Just 10 days after Hamas committed its atrocities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Pandor spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, reiterating “South Africa’s solidarity and support for the people of Palestine.” Hamas claimed that Pandor congratulated the group on its attack, something the former minister denies. Days later, Pandor visited Iran, Hamas’s chief sponsor.

In the interim, Pandor was instrumental in the South African government’s December 2023 decision to bring Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on allegations of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza. In January 2024, Pandor led the South African delegation at the ICJ. In May of that year, Pandor was seen socializing with senior Hamas officials Bassem Naim and Emad Saber at a conference in Johannesburg.

Pandor Courts Figures Known for Antisemitism

After leaving government in mid-2024, Pandor became the chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The foundation made headlines this October when it invited Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur dedicated to scrutinizing Israel, to deliver its annual Nelson Mandela lecture. Albanese called not only for waging economic warfare against Israel but also for harming American companies involved in what she categorized as war crimes.

Albanese is no stranger to upsetting Washington. Prior to her rapporteur role, Albanese complained that the United States was “subjugated by the Jewish lobby.” As rapporteur, Albanese has compared Israel to Nazi Germany and denied or downplayed Hamas crimes to portray Israel as a malicious entity. The Biden administration rebuked Albanese for her “antisemitism.” Noting that she had “spewed unabashed antisemitism” and “expressed support for terrorism,” the Trump administration sanctioned Albanese in July for directly engaging in International Criminal Court efforts to “investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute” Americans or Israelis without the consent of those countries.

Despite presenting herself as a social justice advocate, Pandor has supported violence. In August, Pandor recounted how, when she was on her recent U.S. tour, she told her audience that though Muslims are a “peace-loving people,” they are “permitted to engage in jihad when necessary.”

Others Undeserving of U.S. Visas

The U.S. government has broad latitude to deny entry to foreigners who undermine U.S. foreign policy interests. Pandor’s campaign to falsely charge Israel with genocide and ties with Hamas officials put her at odds with American interests.

There are other South African figures who should be prevented from entering the country, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela, and Julius Malema, the leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party, who has chanted murderous slogans against South Africa’s white minority. The United Kingdom denied them entry because their presence would not be “conducive to the public good,” denying Mandela specifically for his support for Hamas. The United States should also deny entry to leaders of the constellation of Hamas-aligned nonprofits in South Africa, including Ebrahim Gabriels, who heads the South African branch of the U.S.-sanctioned Al-Quds Foundation.

To prevent bad actors from flying to the United States under the radar, the State Department should proactively investigate problematic high-profile South Africans whose presence in the country would undermine America’s national interests.

David May is a research manager and senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from the author and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow David on X @DavidSamuelMay. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.