President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, stated on Monday that strengthening the country’s ties with the United States remains a “priority” following the expulsion of the country’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, by Washington.
Relations between South Africa and the US have grown increasingly strained, culminating in a diplomatic standoff on Friday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that Rasool had been declared persona non grata, labelling him “a race-baiting politician” with a deep-seated dislike for President Donald Trump.
“Improving our relationship with the United States of America is a priority for us,” Ramaphosa told journalists outside a seminar, adding the United States is “our second largest trading partner after China”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool “persona non grata” following remarks he made during an online seminar on Friday. During the event, Rasool described former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement as “a white supremacist response to growing demographic diversity in the United States.”
“We have noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States, particularly about the remarks he made,” Ramaphosa said. Rasool will “come back and give me a full report”, he added.
A former anti-apartheid activist, Rasool has also been vocal in his criticism of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.
His expulsion marks another flashpoint in the growing friction between Washington and Pretoria, fueled by policy disagreements and South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
