The United States has expelled South Africa's ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, following allegations by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio accused Rasool of harboring animosity towards America and President Donald Trump. This diplomatic rift was highlighted by Rubio's comments on social media, where he linked to a Breitbart story about a talk Rasool gave during a South African thinktank’s webinar.
In an assertive message, Rubio stated:
“South Africa’s ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country” – Marco Rubio
Rasool, a veteran of the African National Congress (ANC) and a former anti-apartheid activist who served prison time for his activism, has been described by Rubio as "a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS." Rasool's political journey saw him become a prominent figure in the ANC, the party of Nelson Mandela. Despite the end of apartheid more than three decades ago, South Africa continues to grapple with significant racial disparities. Land and wealth remain predominantly in the hands of white citizens, who constitute just 7% of the population, while black people make up 81%.
The diplomatic fallout comes at a time when Trump has taken a hard stance on South Africa's internal policies. In February, he froze U.S. aid to the country, citing a controversial land reform law in South Africa that he claims allows land to be seized from white farmers. Trump further extended an offer to South African farmers on his Truth Social platform:
“any farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to citizenship” – Donald Trump
This move is perceived as a direct response to South Africa's ongoing challenges with land distribution, rooted in its apartheid history. The Afrikaner population, descended mainly from Dutch settlers and French Huguenot refugees since 1652, continues to hold substantial economic power.
Rasool, during his webinar, commented on the socio-political dynamics in the United States:
“The supremacist assault on incumbency, we see it in the domestic politics of the USA, the Maga movement, the Make America Great Again movement, as a response not simply to a supremacist instinct, but to very clear data that shows great demographic shifts in the USA in which the voting electorate in the USA is projected to become 48% white.” – Ebrahim Rasool
This statement has seemingly exacerbated tensions between the two nations. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa noted earlier that while initial relations with Trump were positive, they have since deteriorated:
“I had a wonderful call with Trump soon after the US leader took office in January. But relations later seemed to go a little bit off the rails” – Cyril Ramaphosa