The Presidency of South Africa has confirmed the expulsion of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, expressing regret over the decision.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya stated:
“The Presidency urges all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter. South Africa remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States of America.”
This follows the United States declaring Rasool persona non grata, barring him from the country.
In a social media post on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to Rasool as a “race-baiting politician” who is no longer welcome in the US, citing his recent remarks on US foreign policy and the Make America Great Again movement.
“We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA,” said Rubio.
Rasool’s expulsion adds to a series of actions taken by the Trump administration against South Africa, a nation known for its support of Palestinian rights and its role in filing a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel, a US ally, of committing genocidal acts in Gaza.
VOC News has reached out to Ambassador Rasool for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
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