COPE slams US decision to expel SA Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool

THE Congress of the People (COPE) has condemned the expulsion of South Africa’s Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool.

Rasool was expelled after sharing his opinion on Donald Trump’s presidency during a Mistra webinar on Friday. Rasool made a comment during the webinar where he described the "Make America Great Again" movement as a reaction to “a supremacist instinct".

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio accused diplomat Rasool of being a "race-baiting politician" who hated US President Donald Trump in a social media post on X.

“South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered persona non grata,” said Rubio.

COPE has called for the immediate removal of David Greene as the US chargé d'affaires and opposes the impending appointment of a new US ambassador to South Africa.

COPE said it is unacceptable for South Africa to be treated as a subordinate by the US. The party stated that US ambassador Reuben Brigety was not expelled after he made false claims about South Africa allegedly supplying weapons to Russia.

"Why should we accept the views of a president known for white supremacist ideologies and tolerate his influence on our sovereignty?" said COPE.

COPE said that South Africa will not be treated as a colony of America, nor will it be dictated to by Trump, who continuously reacts to misinformation about South Africa. 

“Rasool’s expulsion is the latest attack from the Trump administration, which has continuously targeted South Africa for its support of Palestinian rights,” said COPE.

The party pointed out that South Africa played a crucial role in initiating a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for alleged genocidal acts in Gaza. The party said that the US has long been aligned with Israel, and South Africa’s principled stance on Palestinian rights has only intensified tensions with the Trump administration. COPE also believes that Elon Musk has influenced Trump’s policies toward South Africa.

Meanwhile, the South African government said the United States' decision to expel Rasool is regrettable, but the country will remain committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with Washington.

South Africa’s presidency urged all relevant and impacted stakeholders to maintain the established diplomatic decorum in their engagement with the matter.

Rasool served as the South African ambassador to the US between 2010 and 2015 under the Barack Obama administration. He was re-appointed as ambassador in January 2025 and served under Joe Biden and Donald Trump.