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The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) notes with concern that Professor Adam Habib, Executive Director of the HSRC’s Democracy & Governance research programme and a respected scholar and an outspoken political commentator, has had his visa revoked by the US government on his arrival in New York on Saturday 21 October 2006, and was subsequently deported back to South Africa. To date no reasons have been given for these actions. Prof. Habib was part of a HSRC delegation to the USA, led by the CEO Dr Olive Shisana, which will be meeting a number of institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the World Bank, Columbia University, and a number of donor agencies, including the Carnegie and Gates Foundations during their visit. Dr Temba Masilela, the acting CEO of the HSRC, said that "the HSRC has written letters of concern to both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in Pretoria, requesting their assistance in establishing the reasons for the denial of entry. As soon as more information is made available, it will be communicated to the public"
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