By Enyichukwu Enemanna
South Africa’s vocal opposition leader has condemned the expulsion of the country’s ambassador to the United States by the Donald Trump administration, giving him 72 hours to leave Washington.
Julius Malema, the leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, issued a scathing statement against the US, calling on South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa “to not allow the country to be bullied by the orange clown occupying the White House,” in reference to Trump, who came to office in January.
Washington had expelled Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, saying he was an unwelcome person, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called him a “race-baiting politician who hates America” on Friday.
Relations between South Africa and the US have deteriorated since Trump came into office, a development rooted in a land administration law enacted by Ramaphosa, which Trump claimed was targeted at white landowners in South Africa.
The land policy allows the government to confiscate landed property without compensation in certain circumstances.
Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) Secretary-General Apa Pooe also condemned the US decision, calling it an attack on South Africa’s sovereignty and an attempt to dictate policy in the country.
“SA is not a puppet of the US. We have the right to govern our country without any interference,” he said.
However, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, told state broadcaster SABC that “it is not helpful to engage in Twitter diplomacy,” saying the two countries need to talk “face-to-face.”
Last month, Trump signed an executive order halting financial aid to South Africa, alleging that there was discrimination against the white Afrikaner minority, descendants of Dutch and French settlers, an allegation South Africa denies.
Rasool previously served as US ambassador from 2010 to 2015, when Barack Obama was president.
He was appointed as ambassador again in 2024 because of his previous experience and extensive network of Washington contacts.
But despite his record, he has faced challenges setting up meetings with Trump.
The white-dominated Democratic Alliance (DA)—a coalition partner in South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), has questioned why the largest party, the African National Congress (ANC), was still choosing all its foreign diplomats.
“It is simply just not right that the ANC has got carte blanche on foreign policy and the appointments of diplomats while they are only a 39% party,” DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp told SABC, as he called for members of the GNU to be allowed to go to Washington to ease tensions.
