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.
Read more
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 reposted an article from the right-wing website Breitbart that quoted the envoy saying in a webinar that Mr Trump was leading a white “supremacist” movement.
Since Mr Trump returned to the White House, ties between the two countries have reached their “lowest point”, according to Patrick Gaspard, former US ambassador to South Africa.
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 Twitter/X that the government “will engage through the diplomatic channel”.
open image in gallery
It was Mr Rasool’s second stint in the role as ambassador after he initially held the role between 2010 and 2015.
He returned to the position on 13 January while Joe Biden was still in office, but news website Semafor reported that he had been unable to secure routine meetings with State Department officials and key Republican figures since Mr Trump returned to power.
Mr Gaspard said: “There’s too much at stake to not work towards the repair of this partnership.”
Mr Trump accused South Africa of “confiscating land” and treating “certain classes of people … very badly” without citing evidence.
open image in gallery
Pretoria-born billionaire Elon Musk, who works closely with the president, has also criticised his home country, saying that white South Africans were victims of “racist ownership laws”.
In January, 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.
He defended the policy and said it was created to even out racial disparities in land ownership.
