Tension in the South African coalition followed the trade envoy’s failure to visit the US
The president’s aide was denied a U.S. visa to negotiate with Washington, according to the smaller party, which has sparked a dispute among South Africa’s major coalition partners over how to react to impending tariffs from a hostile Trump administration.
Mcebisi Jonas, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s preferred interlocutor, was officially denied a diplomatic visa by the United States in May, the Democratic Alliance said Tuesday.
In a statement on Thursday, the DA’s top international relations staffer, Emma Louise Powell, reiterated the assertion without offering any supporting evidence.
Whether Jonas had been denied a visa was not stated by Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for the presidency, in his statement.
“President Ramaphosa has not had a need for Mr. Jonas to visit the United States on urgent business,” the president stated in a statement.
He went on to say that Jonas had been assisting the foreign and trade ministries in the background. The administration has not reported that Jonas has met with any U.S. officials since his appointment in April.
He did not travel with a group to Washington in May, when Ramaphosa was attacked by U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office over fabricated allegations of mass murders of white South African farmers.
When contacted by Reuters on Thursday, Magwenya refused to comment further. When a text message was sent asking for feedback, Jonas did not immediately reply. A request for response from the U.S. embassy in Pretoria was not immediately answered.
On August 1, Washington will impose a 30% tax on South Africa. On Wednesday, central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago issued a warning that it might result in the loss of 100,000 jobs.
Ramaphosa’s African National Congress is incensed that the white-led DA, which has criticized South Africa’s racial diversity policies like Trump, traveled to the US earlier this year on its own to convince American politicians of the country’s position.
Following last year’s elections, in which the ANC lost its clear majority, the former adversaries formed an unexpected collaboration. However, the DA has argued that the budget is corrupt and wasteful, and they have clashed over equality laws, education policy, and the budget.
Ramaphosa dismissed a DA deputy minister for not obtaining authorization to travel to the United States.
Powell said in a statement supporting the DA’s trip to the United States on Thursday that “the DA will continue to… engage with the international community of democracies, just as the ANC continues to engage with… the likes of Russia and Iran.”
