US expulsion a ‘badge of dignity’ – South African envoy

Ebrahim Rasool has said he has “no regrets” despite being declared persona non grata for his recent comments about the Trump administration

South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, who has been expelled by the administration of President Donald Trump, has told his supporters that he will wear his ‘persona non grata’ status as a “badge of dignity.” He made the comment upon his arrival home at Cape Town International Airport on Sunday

Rasool was declared unwelcome in the US on March 14 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, labeling the envoy a “race-baiting politician” who harbors hatred for America and its president. The move followed remarks Rasool made during a webinar in which he criticized Trump for leading a “supremacist assault on incumbency” through the ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign.

Speaking to the jubilant crowd that welcomed him and his wife with drumming and dancing, Rasool said their return was not by choice, but that they have “come home with no regret.”

“We are indeed moved by this warm welcome after the bewildering reaction of being declared persona non grata for intellectually and politically analyzing your host country and preparing your own country for radically new terms of engagement,” he said.

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“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, a badge of our values and a badge that we have done the right thing,” the diplomat stated.

The diplomatic rift comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Pretoria. The US president recently halted all federal funding to South Africa over a controversial land expropriation law, which the African country insists aims to address historical racial disparities in land ownership. Trump claims the law violates the rights of white South Africans, who continue to own the majority of farmland despite constituting only around 7% of the population.

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The South African government has sought to hold talks with the Trump administration in order to clarify what it calls “misinformation” about the land policy.

Rasool’s expulsion is an uncommon move in US diplomatic relations, though lower-ranking diplomats have been subjected to similar actions in the past.

Pretoria has called the envoy’s dismissal a “regrettable” move but says it remains committed to engaging with Washington in order to maintain diplomatic relations. On Sunday, Rasool said it is important for South Africa to repair its ties with the US, “but not at the expense of our dignity because we will not be bullied.”