Washington (AP) — The State Department says South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, who was declared “persona non grata” last week, has until Friday to leave.
After Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on social media Friday that Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was no longer welcome in the United States, South African embassy staff were summoned to the State Department and given a formal diplomatic note explaining the decision, according to department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
She stated that Rasool’s diplomatic privileges and immunities expired on Monday and that he must leave the United States by Friday.
In a television interview on Monday, South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri stated that Rasool was still in the United States but would leave as soon as possible.
Rubio announced his decision in a post on X while returning to the United States from a Group of 7 foreign ministers summit in Canada. In it, he accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who despised President Donald Trump.
His post included a link to a story on the conservative Breitbart news website about a talk Rasool gave earlier Friday in Johannesburg as part of a South African think tank webinar. Rasool, speaking via videoconference, discussed the Trump administration’s actions in the context of a future United States in which white people will no longer be the majority.
It is extremely rare for the United States to expel a foreign ambassador, though lower-level diplomats are more frequently targeted with persona non grata status.
Rubio’s decision was the latest Trump administration move aimed at South Africa. Last month, Trump issued an executive order halting funding for the country.
It criticized the Black-led South African government on multiple fronts, accusing it of pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting “bad actors” around the world, including the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Monday that Rasool would provide a report when he returned home.
Ramaphosa stated that his government has “noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States,” specifically regarding Rasool’s remarks, but emphasized that he believed South Africa was in the process of rebuilding its relationship with the US.
“This is a hiccup, a hiccup we are working on straightening out,” according to him.
“We will engage with the United States of America in a formal way,” she said. “We will do so with deep respect for both them and President Trump. Our relationship with the United States will be restored to normalcy, so I would like the people of South Africa to have restful nights.”
Bruce stated that the United States expects a certain level of respect.
“We’ve conducted decent diplomacy with South Africa. There are some challenges, but you want people in each embassy who can help build relationships,” she told reporters on Monday. “And these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president, but to every American.”
According to a Foreign Ministry spokesman, South Africa intends to raise concerns with the US about Rubio appearing to announce on social media that Rasool was no longer welcome in the US before informing him of the decision.
According to Phiri, South Africa believes that such issues should first be addressed diplomatically. “But this is the reality that we must deal with under this administration. “It appears that Twitter (X) is the preferred mode of communication,” the spokesman said during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
Bruce stated that the meeting with South African embassy staff was scheduled for Friday. Rubio’s post went live at 4:42 p.m. on Friday.
