WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States has declared South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata, escalating tensions between Washington and Pretoria. The announcement was made Friday by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” hostile toward former President Donald Trump.
Rubio’s statement, posted on X, did not elaborate on specific reasons for the expulsion. The State Department provided no further details, and it remains unclear whether Rasool was in the U.S. at the time of the announcement. Such diplomatic measures are rare, with past tensions—including conflicts with Russia over election interference and Crimea—never resulting in ambassadorial expulsions.
The move comes after Trump signed an executive order cutting aid to South Africa, claiming its land reform policies discriminate against white Afrikaner landowners. Trump alleges that the Expropriation Act unfairly targets South Africa’s white minority, a claim the South African government strongly denies. Officials in Pretoria maintain that the law is meant to address historic injustices from the apartheid era and is not racially motivated.
South Africa's Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 14, 2025
Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS.
We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.https://t.co/mnUnwGOQdx
Rasool, a veteran of the anti-apartheid movement and former political prisoner, previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2010 to 2015 before reassuming the post earlier this year. He has long been associated with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and was a close ally of former President Nelson Mandela.
The South African Embassy did not respond to requests for comment late Friday.
Trump’s executive order also introduces a provision offering refugee status to Afrikaners, arguing they face persecution. This decision has drawn widespread attention, with South African-born billionaire Elon Musk amplifying concerns about the expropriation law on social media. Signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year, the legislation allows land seizures under specific conditions, such as when land lies unused or when redistribution serves the public interest.
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