South Africa has described the United States’ decision to expel its ambassador as “regrettable,” urging the need for diplomatic decorum between the two nations.
In a statement on Saturday, the office of the president addressed the expulsion of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, stating:
“The Presidency has noted the regrettable expulsion of South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Mr. Ebrahim Rasool. The Presidency urges all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that Rasool was no longer welcome in the country, labelling him a “race-baiting politician” who harbours hostility toward President Donald Trump.
Despite the expulsion, South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a “mutually beneficial relationship” with the US.
The move has further strained ties between Washington and Pretoria. Tensions escalated in February when Trump froze US aid to South Africa, citing a controversial land reform law that he claims permits the seizure of white-owned land. Last week, Trump reignited the issue by inviting South African farmers to settle in the US, reiterating his allegations that the government was “confiscating” land from white citizens.
