Ex-Minister denied US visa

The US Embassy in SA says it cannot disclose the details of why it has revoked a US visa for former International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor. Pandor, who is also the chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said she was informed of the decision to be denied a visa in an email from the US Consulate last week. She told The Citizen that the US Consulate did not provide any reasons for revoking her visa. A US Government spokesperson said they could not disclose the details: ‘Under US law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case.’ The official added that ‘visas are a privilege, not a right’.

Meanwhile, SA's former Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, says he does not regret remarks he made about President Donald Trump’s administration and has accused Trump of ‘mobilising white supremacist instinct’ for repeatedly claiming there is an alleged genocide in SA. IoL reports that Rasool, who was expelled from the US this year after expressing his views on Trump’s Presidency during a webinar, said he still stands by his comments. Rasool previously served as SA’s Ambassador to Washington during the Barack Obama administration between 2010 and 2015. He was reappointed in January 2025, serving under both the Joe Biden and Trump administrations. ‘I stand by it, because what else explains why he would accuse SA of a white genocide? Everyone knows,’ he said during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

International Relations & Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola says he stands by his statement that Trump advocates white supremacy. However, he does not think his remarks will affect the trade negotiations between Washington and Pretoria. Speaking to TimesLIVE yesterday, he said his utterances ‘are a reflection of reality on the ground’: ‘The executive order (by the US) is for Afrikaners. You must be white and you must be Afrikaner. What does that mean? It’s a race-based policy. That can’t be an issue. It is a reality.'

Full TimesLIVE report

Full IoL report

Full report in The Citizen