Naledi Pandor

Dr Naledi Pandor   (politician, educator, academic)
Born	Grace Naledi Mandisa Matthews 7 December 1953
Alma mater	University of Swaziland, University of Botswana, University of London, Stellenbosch University, University of Pretoria
Party	African National Congress
South African foreign minister

Dr Naledi Pandor is a South African politician, educator and academic serving as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation since 2019. She has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the African National Congress (ANC) since 1994.

Background

Born in Durban, Naledi Pandor completed high school in Botswana. She qualified as a teacher and taught at multiple schools and universities, whilst she achieved various degrees from different universities. Pandor took office as a Member of Parliament in 1994. She soon became Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC caucus in 1995. She was elected Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in 1998 and became chairperson in 1999.

Ministerial career

Naledi Pandor initially became a member of the national cabinet in 2004, following President Thabo Mbeki's decision to appoint her as Minister of Education. She retained her post in the cabinet of Kgalema Motlanthe. Newly elected President Jacob Zuma named her Minister of Science and Technology in 2009. She served in the position until her appointment as Minister of Home Affairs in 2012. She returned to the post of Minister of Science and Technology in 2014 and held it until 2018, when she became Minister of Higher Education and Training in the first cabinet of President Cyril Ramaphosa. After the 2019 general election, Naledi Pandor was mentioned as a possible candidate for Deputy President of South Africa. She was instead appointed Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Foreign affairs

In September 2022, Dr Naledi Pandor stood in for Cyril Ramaphosa at the Seventy-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly after he had decided to return to South Africa due to the ongoing electricity crisis after his working visit in Washington DC.

In her address to the UN General Assembly, Dr Pandor said that all ongoing wars and conflicts around the world should be given equal attention. She also called for Israel to be held accountable for its "destructive actions" in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, for the embargo against Cuba to be lifted and echoed the African Union's call for sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted.

On 23–26 January 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited South Africa and several other African states. Dr Pandor thanked Lavrov for the "most wonderful meeting" and described Russia as a "valued partner."

Reacting to the ICC arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dr Pandor criticised the International Criminal Court for not having what she called an "evenhanded approach" to all leaders responsible for violations of international law. South Africa invited President Putin to the 15th BRICS Summit of leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in August 2023. As South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the presence of Vladimir Putin was in doubt. In May 2023, Dr Pandor announced that she had approved diplomatic immunity for President Putin and his officials so that they could attend the 15th BRICS Summit despite the ICC arrest warrant.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

"What's being done to the people of Palestine is wrong, is intolerable and we will not pretend to accept it."

On 7 November 2023, closing the debate in Parliament on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Dr Pandor began by saying:

"I was taught when I was very young that insults are the last refuge of a scoundrel and so calling me a terrorist friend of Hamas is like water off a duck's back because it's an absolute untruth and is a mere insult of a scoundrel who has run out of ideas."

She concluded with:

"We believe all human beings enjoy the right to exist in freedom enjoying Justice and humanity, and that is the message that has to come out of this House. This House cannot stand up for abuse, and cannot stand up for the infringement of other human beings' rights no matter who those human beings are. We've never sought retribution.

"I have the story of my grandfather who died of a broken heart. He was a tailor and he had worked very hard to make enough money to buy a house in Durban and they got that house. My grandfather and my grandmother, two years after they got it, the area was declared a white area. They lost that house without compensation and he essentially died of a broken heart.

"I have no retribution because today I'm part of a government seeking to build a better South Africa and our role must be to seek to build a better world. The benefits we enjoy are human rights, a fantastic constitution, of having institutions that are democratic and work for all of us.

"That privilege is not just for us it must be for everyone and in any debate we have if we are true to ourselves, if we are true to our history, if we are true to what we've achieved, we will stand up and say what is being done to the people of Palestine is wrong, is intolerable and we will not pretend to accept it."

Going to Court

On 12 November 2023, Dr Pandor called on the ICC to speed up its investigation of Israeli war crimes in the 2023-2024 Israel-Hamas War and stated warrants of arrest should be issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On 12 January 2024, Dr Pandor responded to personal attacks she has faced following South Africa’s announcement that it is taking Israel to the International Court of Justice on allegations that it is subjecting Palestinians in Gaza to genocidal acts.

On 14 January 2024, Heather Barr tweeted:

This clip of South Africa’s foreign minister Naledi Pandor is well worth watching to understand how the South African govt sees the ICJ case.

On 24 January 2024, Al Jazeera reported that Naledi Pandor is travelling to The Hague to be present at the ICJ on 26 January 2024 at noon, when the Court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Speaking outside the ICJ

Naledi Pandor reacts to ICJ's Israeli genocide ruling

Interviewed on the steps of the International Court of Justice at The Hague, International Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor welcomed the ICJ's Judgment of 26 January 2024. Pandor said the Judgment was a victory for people of Palestine.

The ICJ ordered Israel to take measures to prevent and punish direct incitement of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Israel must prevent destruction in the besieged enclave and ensure that basic needs are delivered in the strip.

This after South Africa dragged Israel to the World Court for a ceasefire in Gaza.

 

Events Participated in

Event	Start	End	Location(s)	Description
Munich Security Conference/2020	14 February 2020	16 February 2020	Germany Munich Bavaria	The 56th Munich Security Conference, in 2020, "welcomed an unprecedented number of high-ranking international decision-makers."
Munich Security Conference/2022	18 February 2022	20 February 2022	Germany Munich Bavaria	Slightly less than 1/3 of the 664 of the participants have pages here

 

Related Document

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:ICJ to decide on emergency measures in Israel-Gaza genocide case this week	Article	24 January 2024	Al Jazeera staff	South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor will travel to The Hague to be present at the International Court of Justice as it rules on the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

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