US‑South Africa relations sour as ambassador Rasool ousted
The Ambassador of South Africa to the USA, Ebrahim Rasool, was declared persona non grata on Friday. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that the diplomat is a "a race-baiting politician" and "hates President Donald Trump."
"South Africa's Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA." - Rubio wrote on the social media platform X.
Relations between the USA and South Africa have deteriorated since Donald Trump reduced financial aid to the country. The directive is a reaction to the controversial law passed in South Africa, which allows the confiscation of land from white farmers who "do not make good use of it." According to the regulations, the state can expropriate landowners without utilising the land or agreeing to sell it.
Trump stated that "certain classes of people" are treated "very badly" in South Africa. Meanwhile, Trump's close associate, Elon Musk, a South African-born billionaire, argued that white residents of that country have fallen victim to "racist ownership laws".
South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, defended this policy, arguing that the government has not confiscated any land and that the new law aims to reduce racial discrepancies in land ownership in a country where the majority are black.
Tensions on the USA-South Africa front. ambassador declared persona non grata
In recent months, Washington also condemned the lawsuit filed by South Africa with the International Criminal Court, in which the South African government accused Israel of violating the 1948 genocide convention.
South Africa acknowledges that the violation of this convention took place during the military campaign in Gaza.
