Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni hit back at the decision by the US to revoke former international relations minister Naledi Pandor’s visa, saying the move has little impact on South Africa.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, Ntshavheni said visa decisions by foreign governments “do not change the price of bread”.
“Former minister Naledi Pandor is not a minister in cabinet. Like any other country, they can decide to give you a visa or not. It doesn’t change the price of bread. Even if they revoke my visa, it’s fine. I would not have to go to the US. Most of us don’t go to the US,” she said.
Ntshavheni noted most South African officials travel to the US for UN meetings.
Her comments come after confirmation by Pandor that her US visa had been abruptly revoked.
She said she received a short email from the US consulate notifying her of the decision with no explanation provided.
Though the US embassy in South Africa has not clarified the reason, many observers believe it may be linked to Pandor’s strong public stance on Palestine and South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a move Washington opposed.
The revocation came at a sensitive moment as a diplomatic dispute continues over the handover of the G20 presidency after the summit closed in Johannesburg without the traditional ceremonial handover to the US, which is the next chair of the bloc, after Washington boycotted the gathering.
Though the South African presidency had on Saturday reiterated its rejection of a US offer to send the US chargé d’affaires for the G20 handover, justice minister Ronald later Lamola said South Africa would assign a diplomat of the same rank as a chargé d’affaires to hand over the G20 presidency at the department of international relations and cooperation, ensuring protocol was maintained.
Earlier this year, Pandor expressed concern about deteriorating diplomatic signals from Washington.
Responding to a tweet by US secretary of state Marco Rubio announcing he would not attend the G20 foreign ministers’ summit, Pandor told Newzroom Afrika: “I think it’s extremely disappointing and of concern.”
Pandor said she hoped South Africa’s diplomatic machinery was engaging the US state department to “persuade and inform” to counter growing misconceptions.
“We have been and are a good partner to the US, and we need to provide information about the factual position on all the matters raised thus far, many of which I think have been really misconstrued. A great deal of diplomatic effort is needed on our part,” she said.
Pandor also previously responded to criticism from US President Donald Trump’s administration, saying: “To comment negatively on our policies before examining them closely is the oddity. But to be focused on South Africa is not odd. We’re a very important country on the African continent.”
Despite the tensions she stressed the importance of maintaining solid bilateral ties.
“We do have friends in the US in both houses. We need to use them. We have friends in civil society. We have chambers of business that are focused on investing in South Africa. We have CEOs of branches of large corporates located in our country. We need to convene them, speak on the issues clearly, get communication out there,” she said.
Pandor, who \chairs the Nelson Mandela Foundation, retired from government last year.
She has remained a prominent supporter of the Palestinian cause and served as minister when South Africa filed its landmark genocide case against Israel at the ICJ.
TimesLIVE
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