South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool expelled from US called a ‘race-baiting politician’ by Marco Rubio

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador, after accusing him of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates America and President Donald Trump.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the envoy was “no longer welcome in our great country.”

“Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”

Mr Rubio re-posted an article from the right-wing website Breitbart that quoted the envoy saying in a webinar that Trump was leading a white “supremacist” movement.

Ties between the two countries have reached their “lowest point”, since Trump returned to the White House, according to former US ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard.

The president cut US financial aid to the country because he disapproved of its land policy, which aims to expropriate land and even out racial disparities, and its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Israel.

South Africa’s presidency “noted the regrettable expulsion” of Mr Rasool in a statement.

“The Presidency urges all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter.

“South Africa remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States of America. “

Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, posted on X that the government “will engage through the diplomatic channel.”

This was Mr Rasool’s second time working as the ambassador to the US (EPA)

This was Mr Rasool’s second stint in the role as ambassador after he took on the position between 2010 and 2015.

He returned to the role on January 13 while Joe Biden was still in office, but Semafor reported that he had been unable to secure routine meetings with State Department officials and key Republican figures since Trump returned to power.

Mr Gaspard said: “There’s too much at stake to not work towards the repair of this partnership.”

Trump accused South Africa of “confiscating land” and treating “certain classes of people” “very badly” without citing evidence.

South African native Elon Musk has criticised the country’s ‘racist ownership laws’ (Getty Images)

South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who has grown close to Trump, has also criticised his home country, saying that white South Africans were victims of “racist ownership laws.”

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, signed into law a bill that aims to make it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest, sometimes without compensating the owner, in January.

He defended the policy and said the policy was aimed to even out racial disparities in land ownership.