WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, is “no longer welcome” in the country, marking an unprecedented diplomatic move.
In a statement posted on X, Rubio accused Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who harbors disdain for former President Donald Trump. The post did not elaborate further on the decision. The State Department did not provide additional details, and it remains unclear whether Rasool was in the U.S. at the time.
The expulsion of an ambassador is a rare step in U.S. diplomacy. Even during periods of heightened tensions with Russia—over Cold War conflicts, the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and allegations of election interference—neither nation took similar action against top diplomats.
South Africa's Ambassador to the United States is 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.https://t.co/mnUnwGOQdx
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 14, 2025Rubio’s decision follows Trump’s recent executive order cutting aid to South Africa’s government, which he claims discriminates against Afrikaner landowners. Trump alleges that a newly passed land expropriation law unfairly targets South Africa’s white minority. The South African government has refuted the accusations, insisting the legislation aims to redress historical injustices from the apartheid era and is not racially motivated.
Rasool, who previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2010 to 2015, returned to the post earlier this year. A prominent anti-apartheid activist, he was imprisoned during South Africa’s struggle against white minority rule and later became a leading figure in the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Calls to the South African Embassy for comment went unanswered late Friday.
Trump’s executive order also includes provisions to grant refugee status to Afrikaners, citing concerns over their alleged persecution. His move has drawn international attention, with Elon Musk, a South African-born billionaire and Trump ally, amplifying claims that the expropriation law threatens the country’s white minority. The legislation, signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year, permits land seizures in cases deemed necessary for public interest or where land lies unused.
The U.S. government’s actions signal escalating tensions with Pretoria, adding further strain to diplomatic relations between the two nations.
