Rubio Declares South African Ambassador Unwelcome in the U.S. Amid Diplomatic Tensions

[Social Media]

 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, is “no longer welcome” in the country. The decision marks another instance of the Trump administration’s increasing scrutiny of South Africa’s government.  

 

In a post on X, Rubio labeled Rasool a “race-baiting politician” who harbors disdain for President Donald Trump. He further declared the ambassador “persona non grata,” effectively barring him from U.S. diplomatic engagement. Rubio’s statement linked to a Breitbart article reporting on Rasool’s comments during a South African think tank’s webinar.

 

In the virtual discussion, Rasool referenced Trump ally Elon Musk’s engagement with far-right figures in Europe, describing it as a “dog whistle” to a global movement of individuals who view themselves as part of an “embattled white community.”  

 

The State Department provided no additional details about Rasool’s ban, and it remained unclear whether the ambassador was in the U.S. at the time of the announcement. Rubio posted his statement while en route to Washington from a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Canada.  

 

It is uncommon for the U.S. to expel a foreign ambassador, as persona non grata designations are typically reserved for lower-ranking diplomats. Even during periods of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia—such as the Cold War, Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, allegations of election interference in 2016, and the poisoning of a former Russian intelligence officer in Britain—Washington and Moscow refrained from expelling each other’s ambassadors.  

 

Efforts to obtain comment from the South African Embassy in Washington were unsuccessful, as phone calls made toward the end of the workday went unanswered.  

 

Rasool, who previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2010 to 2015, had only recently returned to the post in January. His background includes a long history of anti-apartheid activism; as a child, he and his family were forcibly evicted from a Cape Town neighborhood designated exclusively for white residents. He later became a political figure in Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress, even serving time in prison for his activism.  

 

His expulsion coincides with Trump’s recent executive order cutting aid and assistance to South Africa’s Black-led government. In the order, Trump argued that South Africa’s Afrikaner population—descendants of mainly Dutch colonial settlers—were being unfairly targeted by a newly passed law permitting the government to expropriate private land.  

 

South African officials have denied that the law is racially motivated, instead framing it as a means to rectify the injustices of apartheid-era land dispossession. Trump, however, has characterized the law as discriminatory, referring to Afrikaners as “racially disfavored landowners.” His administration also announced plans to offer Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S., despite the fact that no land has yet been expropriated under the law.  

 

The Expropriation Act, signed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year, grants the government authority to seize land in cases where it is underutilized or where redistribution serves the public interest. It is intended to address historical inequities stemming from apartheid, when Black South Africans were forcibly removed from their lands and relegated to racially designated areas.  

 

Musk, who was born and raised in South Africa and now heads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, has frequently criticized the law on social media, portraying it as a direct threat to the country’s white minority. His stance has fueled further controversy over the issue, as the Trump administration continues to shape its foreign policy toward South Africa.

 

Based on a report by NYP  2025-03-17

 

 

[rudi49jr]

6 hours ago, Social Media said:

who harbors disdain for President Donald Trump.

Aw, were the thin-skinned orange crybaby’s feelings hurt again? So Trump himself can insult, belittle and degrade everyone and anyone, but when someone says something even remotely bad about Trump he throws a hissy fit.
He really needs to grow a pair. World politics is not for the faint hearted. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

[SunnyinBangrak]

Great to see the Trump administration pushing back against racism. 

[rudi49jr]

25 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Great to see the Trump administration pushing back against racism. 

You gotta be kidding me…