…..declares him persona non grata…
The United States is expelling the South African Ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rassol, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring the ambassador “a persona non grata”—referencing the Latin phrase for “unwelcome person.”
The BBC reports that Rubio posted on X, accusing Ambassador Rassol of hating America and President Donald Trump.
In his post on Friday, Rubio linked an article from the right-wing outlet Breitbart that quoted some of Rasool’s recent remarks made during an online lecture about the Trump administration.
Rassol said: “What Donald Trump is launching is an assault to incumbency, those who are in power, by mobilizing a supremacism against the incumbency at home…and abroad.”
Rubio described him as a “race-baiting politician,” adding, “We have nothing to discuss” with him.
The move marks the latest tension between the two countries which has seen deteriorating bilateral friendship since Trump took office.
Last month, the US president signed an Executive Order, freezing assistance to the Rainbow Nation. The order references “egregious actions” by South Africa and cites “unjust racial discrimination” against the white Afrikaners—those who descended from Dutch settlers.
The order also references a new law, the Expropriation Act, that the order claims targets Afrikaners by allowing the government to take away private land
“As long as South Africa continues to support bad actions on the world stage and allows violent attacks on innocent disfavored minority farmers, the United States will stop aid assistance to the country,” according to a statement from the White House.
The South African government denies its law is related to race.
Rasool previously served as the country’s ambassador to the US from 2010 to 2015 before being tapped again for the post in 2025.
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