With Ebrahim Rasool’s return to Cape Town, questions have arisen about the future of South Africa’s diplomatic relations with the United States. Recently expelled as South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Rasool has called for rebuilding ties. However, with no successor named and no word from Pretoria on a new envoy, it remains unclear how this will be achieved.
Speaking on VOC’s NewsBeat show on Monday, Dr. Oscar van Heerden, an international relations scholar specializing in Africa and SADC, said the backlash against Rasool had been brewing long before his arrival in Washington, D.C.
“The truth is, the guns were out for him even before he landed. We have an overeager candidate, Joel Pollack, who wants to be the US ambassador to South Africa. He watched Rasool closely, hoping to win favor with the State Department and Senator Marco Rubio,” Van Heerden said.
He explained that Pollack had seized on a public lecture given by Rasool, selectively quoting it to craft a harsh critique, which he then forwarded to US officials—ultimately leading to Rasool’s expulsion.
Van Heerden added, “We are dealing with a group of Zionists close to Trump who see no wrongdoing in what Israel is doing to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. They are determined to punish South Africa for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and referring Netanyahu and Gallant to the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
Listen to the full interview below:
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Photo: VOCfm
