The South African ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, was declared "persona non grata" by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The decision was made after Rasool made strong statements about Trump’s policies during a webinar.
In the webinar, Rasool analyzed Trump’s measures against diversity and equality programs in immigration, pointing out the MAGA phenomenon as a response to demographic changes in the United States. Although he did not directly attack Trump, he offered advice on how to deal with his administration, urging not to antagonize but to avoid offenses.
The ambassador's dismissal follows the signing of an executive order by Trump that cut aid to the South African government, claiming that Afrikaners were being affected by a land expropriation law, which Trump asserted was resulting in land being taken from Afrikaners, a point refuted by the South African government.
Ambassador Rasool, who served from 2010 to 2015 and returned in January of that year, highlighted during the webinar some tensions between the United States and South Africa, mainly relating to land policies and criticisms of the new expropriation law.
The White House rarely expels foreign ambassadors, being more common among lower-ranking diplomats. In response to Rasool's expulsion, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement lamenting the measure, urging the maintenance of diplomatic decorum.
Ebrahim Rasool, an anti-apartheid activist who spent time in prison and was regarded as a comrade of Nelson Mandela, is now the subject of controversy for his comments during the webinar and the differences between South Africa and the United States on land legislation and racial issues.
