‘Race-baiting’ America hater: The United States evicts South Africa’s ambassador

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that the United States had dismissed South Africa’s ambassador, branding the diplomat a “race-baiting politician” who despises both President Donald Trump and the United States.

Since Trump withdrew U.S. financial help to South Africa, citing dissatisfaction of the country’s land policy and its genocide case against Washington’s ally Israel at the International Court of Justice, ties between the two countries have gotten worse.

Rubio wrote, “South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,” on the social media site X today. “We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”

Ebrahim Rasool, the envoy, was mentioned by Rubio in a piece from the right-wing website Breitbart as claiming that Trump was spearheading a white “supremacist” campaign on Friday.

In a statement released on Saturday, the South African presidency “noted the regrettable expulsion” of Rasool and reaffirmed its commitment to forging a partnership with the United States that would benefit both parties.

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said on X that the government “will engage through the diplomatic channel.”

The news website Semafor said this week that since Trump, a Republican, entered office in January, Rasool has been unable to arrange regular talks with State Department officials and influential Republicans.

It quoted a South African ambassador who claimed that Rasool’s exclusion appeared to be due to his criticism of Israel and pro-Palestinian stance.
Requests for comment were not immediately answered by the State Department.

‘LOWEST POINT’ TIES

The relationship between the United States and South Africa has reached its “lowest point,” according to former U.S. ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard. “There’s too much at stake to not work towards the repair of this partnership.”

According to the website of the South African embassy, Rasool began his term by submitting his qualifications to then-President Joe Biden on January 13, one week prior to Trump’s inauguration. According to the report, Rasool was in Washington for the second time.

Trump has claimed that “certain classes of people” are being treated “very badly” and that “South Africa is confiscating land” without providing any supporting proof.

Elon Musk, a billionaire who was born in South Africa and is close to Trump, has said that white South Africans have been subjected to “racist ownership laws.”

In January, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill into law that will facilitate the state’s expropriation of land in the public interest, sometimes without paying the landowner compensation.

Ramaphosa has defended the program, claiming that no land has been seized by the government. According to him, the goal of the strategy was to level out racial differences in land ownership in the country with a Black majority.