The United States has declared South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata, effectively expelling him from the country after he criticized President Donald Trump in an online lecture.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Friday, calling Rasool a “race-baiting politician who hates America.” In a post on X, Rubio wrote that Rasool was “no longer welcome in our great country”, linking to a report by the conservative news outlet Breitbart that highlighted Rasool’s remarks on Trump’s foreign policy.
During a virtual event hosted by South Africa’s Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Rasool characterized Trump’s political strategy as a “supremacist assault on incumbency”, both domestically and internationally. He further claimed that the rise of Trump’s MAGA movement was linked to demographic changes in the U.S., where projections suggest that white voters could become a minority by 2050.
The expulsion marks a further decline in U.S.-South Africa relations, which have worsened since Trump returned to the White House. Tensions escalated after South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in late 2023, accusing it of genocide in Gaza—allegations that Israel strongly denies.
In response, Trump froze U.S. foreign aid to South Africa last month, citing both the ICJ case and his opposition to Pretoria’s land expropriation policies. The decision was reportedly influenced by Trump’s South African-born adviser, Elon Musk, who has been vocal about land reform issues in his home country.
The declaration of persona non grata is an unusual and serious diplomatic action, often seen as a last resort in diplomatic disputes. The move follows Rubio’s recent boycott of the G20 foreign ministers’ summit in South Africa, where he accused Pretoria of “anti-Americanism” and criticized its policies on property rights, diversity, and climate change.
Rasool, a seasoned diplomat and former premier of South Africa’s Western Cape Province, had previously been vocal in his criticism of Israel but had pledged to adopt a more measured approach upon assuming his role in Washington in December.
His expulsion signals a deepening diplomatic rift between the two nations, with experts warning that U.S.-South Africa relations could face further strain in the months ahead.
