US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, “no longer welcome” in the country.
In a post on X, Rubio accused Rasool of being 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 wrote, using a diplomatic term that typically forces an ambassador to leave their host country.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the decision “regrettable” and reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining diplomatic relations. “The Presidency urges all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter,” his office stated.
Rubio’s remarks referenced an article from Breitbart about Rasool’s recent comments at a think tank event. During his speech, Rasool discussed Trump’s political approach and its broader implications, linking the Make America Great Again movement to shifting US demographics and the rise of white victimhood narratives.
The declaration of Rasool as persona non grata is the latest strain on US-South Africa relations. Tensions between the two nations have escalated since Trump’s second term began, with the administration imposing punitive measures against South Africa. Both Trump and Elon Musk—who was born in South Africa—have criticized the country’s land reform policies, arguing that White farmers are being unfairly targeted.
In January, South Africa passed the Expropriation Act, allowing the government to seize land without compensation in certain cases to address historical land ownership disparities stemming from apartheid. While Ramaphosa defended the policy as promoting fairness, Trump and Musk have condemned it as discriminatory against White South Africans.
Trump’s administration has responded with strong measures, including suspending US aid to South Africa and offering a fast-track resettlement program for Afrikaner farmers facing “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.”
Earlier this month, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to providing refuge for South African farmers, stating on social media that any farmer and their family seeking safety would be welcomed into the US with an expedited path to citizenship.
