South African ambassador expelled by US returns home to hero’s welcome

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Mar 2025 08:59

The Trump administration expelled Ebrahim Rasool following comments he made in a webinar, where he described the MAGA movement as partly driven by “a supremacist instinct.”

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Expelled South Africa Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool speaks to journalists following his arrival, at Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP)

Ebrahim Rasool, the South African ambassador expelled by the Trump administration and declared persona non grata, was welcomed home on Sunday by hundreds of supporters singing in his honor at Cape Town International Airport.

Rasool and his wife, Rosieda, were surrounded by crowds upon their arrival and required a police escort to navigate through the terminal.

Addressing his supporters with a megaphone, Rasool remarked, “A declaration of persona non grata is meant to humiliate you. But when you return to crowds like this, and with warmth … like this, then I will wear my persona non grata as a badge of dignity.” He added, “It was not our choice to come home, but we come home with no regrets.”

The Trump administration expelled Rasool following comments he made in a webinar, where he described the MAGA movement as partly driven by “a supremacist instinct.” The expulsion of Rasool, a former anti-apartheid activist, further strains relations between the two nations, which have already been tested by Trump’s recent policies.

The US took broader actions against South Africa, with President Donald Trump issuing an executive order cutting all funding to the country, claiming its government supported Hamas and Iran while pursuing anti-white policies domestically.

Despite the diplomatic fallout, Rasool emphasized the need for South Africa to repair ties with Washington, stating, “We don’t come here to say we are anti-American. We are not here to call on you to throw away our interests with the United States.”

His removal was officially announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who labeled him a “race-baiting politician” in a social media post. Though Rubio did not provide a direct reason, his post linked to a Breitbart article detailing Rasool’s remarks about demographic shifts in the US and their impact on politics.

Standing by his comments, Rasool explained, “It is not the US of Obama, it is not the US of Clinton, it is a different US and therefore our language must change. I would stand by my analysis because we were analyzing a political phenomenon, not a personality, not a nation, and not even a government.”

Rasool also reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to pursuing its genocide case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice, rejecting US pressure to withdraw. The Trump administration has cited the case against its ally "Israel" as further evidence of what it claims is South Africa’s anti-American stance.