The United States has declared Ibrahim Rasool, South Africa’s ambassador to the US, as persona non grata effective Friday, March 14. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing Rasool as a racist politician, announced on social media that the ambassador is no longer welcome in the country and that no further discussions will be held with him.
Rasool, who was reappointed to his post by President Donald Trump—having submitted his credentials to former President Joe Biden just one week before Trump officially took office—had his appointment details published on the South African Embassy’s website.
Reuters reported that attempts to secure comments from the US Department of State and the South African Embassy in Washington went unanswered. Meanwhile, Crispin Firi, spokesperson for South Africa’s international relations and communications, stated on social media that his government would address the matter through proper diplomatic channels.
This move comes amid rising tensions between the two nations. Previously, President Trump suspended US aid to South Africa in protest of its government’s land policies. The White House also expressed displeasure over the filing of a genocide lawsuit against US ally Israel at the International Court of Justice. According to Trump, the South African government is forcibly seizing land and acknowledging discriminatory practices against certain groups, a claim echoed by his close associate, billionaire Elon Musk, who alleged that white citizens are falling victim to racially biased property laws—though no evidence was provided.
In a related development, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa enacted a controversial land bill in January. The law, intended to address social inequality by easing government expropriation of land for public interest—even without compensation in some cases—has sparked criticism. Ramaphosa defended the measure by noting that only a very small proportion of land is held by the majority black population, and he asserted that no land expropriations have yet taken place.