US says it ‘deserves better’ from SA Ambassador Rasool
The United States has expressed dissatisfaction with South Africa’s ambassador in Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, following his remarks at an online seminar that led to his expulsion.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce addressed the media on Monday evening, saying that America “deserves better" regarding the standard of diplomatic relations, emphasising the need for a representative who can facilitate constructive dialogue between the two nations.
This statement follows growing tensions between South Africa and the US, highlighted by Rasool’s comments in which he described US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as a "white supremacist response" to the changing demographics in the US.
America’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Rasool "persona non grata" on Friday, marking the ambassador’s immediate expulsion.
“If we don't have a standard about the nature of someone who is in this country, who is supposed to be a diplomat to help facilitate the relationship between two countries, and that this is the standard of it, you know, we deserve better. We've had a decent level of diplomacy with South Africa.
"There are some challenges, and these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president, but to every American. They were pretty much obscene when it came to the nature of what was, of what was alleged,” said Bruce.
Following Rubio’s announcement, senior US diplomats met with South Africa’s embassy staff to deliver the official expulsion notice.
Rasool is expected to leave the US by Friday.
READ MORE: SA says US expulsion of its ambassador 'regrettable'
“I think, at the very least, what we should expect is a standard of some respect, basic, low-level respect if you're in a position that is going to help facilitate any kind of diplomatic relationship with another country,” added Bruce.
“This particular individual certainly didn't meet that standard, and it is a message to people of what America expects, what the president expects, what the Secretary of State expects, what this whole administration expects when it comes to the treatment of the nation itself, and as a result of the people in this country.”
Tensions between the countries have been escalating over several issues, including South Africa’s controversial Land Expropriation Act and its growing ties with nations like Russia and Iran.
“The unjust land expropriation law, as well as its growing relationship with countries like Russia and Iran, that's what prompted the serious review of our South Africa policy, which continues to be underway. They have also taken the South African government's aggressive positions toward the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice and reinvigorating its relationship with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements,” Bruce told reporters.
Bruce added that the South African government’s policies were not in the best interest of fostering global security and prosperity, which has further strained diplomatic relations.
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