Expelled South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool returned home Sunday, saying he had “no regrets” over his dismissal. Speaking in Cape Town, he defended South Africa’s foreign policy and urged a reset in US ties. His expulsion followed remarks accusing President Donald Trump of white supremacist policies, further straining diplomatic relations.
Expelled South African Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, returned home on Sunday, stating he had “no regrets” after his 32-hour journey from the US via Qatar.
Speaking in Cape Town, Rasool acknowledged his preference for returning with secured deals but emphasized that South Africa could not let the US dictate its alliances. “We could not do so by allowing the US to choose who must be our friends and who must be our enemies,” he said.
He also addressed South Africa’s stance on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), arguing that withdrawing its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would not have guaranteed success. “If South Africa was not in the ICJ, Israel would not be exposed, and the Palestinians would have no hope,” he stated.
Despite his expulsion, Rasool dismissed the notion that South Africa was anti-American, instead calling for a reset in diplomatic ties. “Even after being declared persona non grata, we must rebuild and reset the relationship with America,” he said.
His return follows last week’s decision by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to expel him after Rasool accused President Donald Trump of advancing a “white supremacist response” to demographic shifts in the US.
The expulsion marks another flashpoint in US-South Africa tensions, following Trump’s executive order cutting financial aid over concerns about South Africa’s land expropriation law, its ICJ case against Israel, and its ties with Iran.
