Johannesburg: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas as his special envoy to the United States. This move is perceived as an effort to mend the strained relationship between the two nations, which has deteriorated significantly during President Donald Trump’s tenure.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the U.S. expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, last month due to his remarks about the Trump administration. President Ramaphosa expressed that Mcebisi Jonas’ appointment aims to help South Africa restore its ties with the U.S., which have rapidly declined since Trump assumed office. Trump accused the Black-led South African government of mistreating the white minority and criticized its foreign policy as being anti-American. In February, he signed an executive order reducing U.S. funding to South Africa over these concerns.
Trump’s criticism extended to a Truth Social post this weekend, where he expressed reluctance for the U.S. to attend the G20 summit in South Africa as scheduled. As the current holder of the G20 presidency, South Africa is set to host international leaders in Johannesburg in November. Trump questioned the suitability of South Africa as the summit location, citing claims of land seizures and violence against white farmers, which the South African government has denied, labeling such assertions as misinformation.
South Africa recently enacted a controversial land expropriation law permitting the government to acquire land without compensation if deemed in the public interest. While some white minority groups see this as a threat to their property, no land has been seized under the new legislation. Trump’s executive order also criticized South Africa for filing a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide against Palestinians, which the administration viewed as an anti-American stance.
The expulsion of Ambassador Rasool was precipitated by his comments during a webinar, where he described Trump’s actions as an assault on incumbency and linked the Make America Great Again movement to a supremacist instinct. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned Rasool as a ‘race-baiting politician,’ resulting in his expulsion and subsequent return to South Africa, where he was welcomed by supporters. South Africa has yet to appoint a new ambassador to the U.S.