South Africa has declared Israeli chargé d’affaires Ariel Seidman persona non grata, citing repeated breaches of diplomatic protocol. Seidman has been given 72 hours to leave the country.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said the decision followed insults directed at President Cyril Ramaphosa on official Israeli social media platforms, as well as a failure to inform the department of visits by senior Israeli officials.
DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the move was necessary to protect South Africa’s sovereignty and uphold diplomatic norms.
“This decisive action follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty,” Phiri said.
“These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa and a deliberate failure to inform DIRCO of purported visits by senior Israeli officials. Such actions represent a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention.”
The government has urged Israel to ensure proper conduct in future engagements, emphasizing that respect for South Africa’s sovereignty and diplomatic procedures is non-negotiable.
VOC News
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