Sat Mar 15 02:05:24 UTC 2025: ## US Expels South African Ambassador Amidst Tensions Over Race and Politics

**Washington, D.C. –** The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, declaring him “persona non grata.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Ambassador Rasool of being a “race-baiting politician” who harbors anti-American sentiments and animosity towards President Donald Trump.

The decision, announced Friday, March 14, 2025, follows a webinar in which Ambassador Rasool discussed the Trump administration’s policies on diversity, equity, and immigration within the context of shifting demographics in the United States. Mr. Rubio cited a Breitbart article covering the ambassador’s remarks, which reportedly touched upon the “MAGA movement” and projected demographic changes in the U.S. electorate.

The expulsion is highly unusual, particularly given the lack of immediate explanation from the State Department. While lower-ranking diplomats are occasionally targeted with “persona non grata” status, expelling an ambassador is rare, even during periods of heightened international tension. This action comes amidst existing friction between the Trump administration and the South African government, stemming from a new South African land reform law.

President Trump has criticized this law, claiming it discriminates against the white Afrikaner minority, and has even offered Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S. These claims have been refuted by the South African government, who assert the law aims to redress historical injustices of the apartheid era and is not racially motivated. Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency under President Trump, has also publicly criticized the South African government over the land law and other business decisions.

Ambassador Rasool, a former anti-apartheid activist and politician, served as South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. previously (2010-2015). In his recent remarks, he did not directly attack President Trump, instead suggesting a strategy of cautious engagement with the U.S. However, his comments on demographic shifts and the “MAGA movement” appear to have been the catalyst for his expulsion. The South African Embassy has yet to comment on the matter.

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