The Trump administration has declared South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool a persona non grata, barring him from the United States.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on social media, calling Rasool a "race-baiting politician who hates America and hates POTUS." Rubio linked his remarks to a Breitbart article where Rasool accused Trump of using “white victimhood” as a “dog whistle” during the 2024 elections.
This move is the latest in Trump's confrontational stance toward South Africa, which has supported Palestinian rights and backed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Reports suggest Rasool has been denied routine meetings with US officials and key Republicans since Trump’s return to office.
Rasool, a veteran diplomat, resumed his ambassadorial role in January after previously serving under President Obama from 2010 to 2015.
Tensions between the US and South Africa have been escalating. Trump’s administration has accused the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of discriminating against white South Africans.
In February, Trump cut aid to South Africa while offering expedited US citizenship to white Afrikaners, citing alleged “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.” The move was a response to a land reform law aimed at addressing apartheid-era inequalities.
However, South Africa refuted Trump’s claims, stating the law has not led to land confiscations.
Despite Trump’s claims, South African authorities highlight the country's deep-rooted economic disparities. A 2017 audit revealed that while Black people make up 80 percent of the population, they own just 4 percent of privately held farmland, while white Afrikaners, only 8 percent of the population, control most of the land.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, dismissed the US decision, stating the country would not engage in “counterproductive megaphone diplomacy.”
Source: Al Jazeera
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
