The minister of international relations & co-operation, Naledi Pandor, is at the UN this week where she will take part in a Security Council debate on the Middle East.
Her trip follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attendance at a hastily convened “peace summit” in Egypt, where he called for an end to the fighting and urged the international community to work towards a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Over the past couple of years Pandor, once considered a potential presidential candidate, has had a mixed record in dealing with sensitive issues arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Pretoria’s relationship with Moscow.
Most recently, she remained silent after Hamas issued a statement last week indicating she had called one of its leaders, Ismail Haniyeh, to express support for its attacks into Israel on October 7.
The Presidency issued a denial only four hours later, saying reports that the South African government had offered support to Hamas were “false” and that “support for the Palestinian struggle against occupation [does] not equate to support for Hamas”.
Pandor then also issued a belated denial, saying reports she had offered support for the incursion were “untrue” and meant to “impugn the minister and the government of South Africa”.
Pretoria’s chief diplomat is developing a knack for attracting controversy; let’s hope she keeps her head when articulating the country’s position on the world stage this week.