Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
The United States has officially declared South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States persona non grata, ordering his expulsion by March 21.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, the Trump administration has had ongoing beef with South Africa over two major issues: its land expropriation policy and its genocide case against Israel. Trump has repeatedly criticized South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which allows the government to seize land without compensation, arguing that it unfairly targets white farmers and calling it “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.” In response, Trump cut US aid to South Africa and announced a fast-track refugee program for white South Africans, claiming they face persecution. At the same time, Trump has also slammed South Africa for its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, calling it a “disgraceful attack” on America’s closest Middle Eastern ally. He has accused the South African government of siding with terrorists, claimed the case is driven by anti-Israel bias, and suggested it proves that South Africa is “on the wrong side of history.”
What’s going on now: In an announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was “no longer welcome” in the United States, calling him a “race-baiting politician who hates America and hates” President Donald Trump. “We have nothing to discuss with him, and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA,” Rubio posted on X, linking to an article from the conservative outlet Breitbart. He also criticized South Africa’s stance on key issues, claiming the country was “doing very bad things” and accusing it of using the G20 summit to promote “DEI and climate change” rather than focusing on real diplomatic priorities.
Rasool’s remarks, made during a speech to the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection in Johannesburg, focused on Trump’s role in global politics. He claimed Trump was “launching an assault on incumbency” by mobilizing “a supremacism against the incumbency at home and abroad”. Rasool specifically pointed to Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, stating, “What Donald Trump is launching is an assault on incumbency, those who are in power, by mobilizing a supremacism against the incumbency at home and abroad as well.”
He also tied Trump’s rhetoric to shifting US demographics, saying, “The voting electorate in the USA is projected to become 48% white, and the possibility of a majority of minorities is looming on the horizon.” He argued that the MAGA movement was a reaction to these demographic shifts, suggesting that “some of the things that we think are instinctive, nativist, racist things… there’s data that, for example, would support that.”
This comes as South Africa has condemned the US decision but said it remains committed to keeping diplomatic ties. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the move “regrettable” and said that South Africa “remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship” with the United States.
