South Africa appoints us a special envoy to ease relationships

South Africa has appointed a special envoy to the United States in an attempt to alleviate tensions between the two countries that have worsened after Donald Trump’s return to president.

President Cyril Ramafosa has announced the election of Mcebisi Jonas, adding that he will be “entrusted (progress) of diplomatic, commercial and bilateral priorities of South Africa.”

Jonas, a former deputy minister of finance, made titles when he made accusations of corruption against a wealthy family related to former President Jacob Zuma.

The United States last month expelled the ambassador of South Africa, Ebrahim Rasol, for the remarks he made for the Trump administration.

The Ramafosa service said Jonas would “serve as an official representative” for the President and South Africa.

“He will negotiate, encourage strategic partnerships, and commit himself to US and private sector leaders to encourage our nation’s interests.”

Previously, Jonas was one of the four South Africa investment translations appointed in 2018 to help promote foreign companies to invest their money in the country.

He first entered the spotlight during his term as Deputy Minister of Finance when he accused the wealthy Gupta family, which had close ties with Zuma, offering him a bribe of $ 600 million ($ 31.7 million; £ 24.14 million) to become a finance minister.

It was one of the most shocking of a series of corruption allegations against Zuma and Guptas.

Jonas, who refused the proposal and would later become vowel to his resistance, said that this offer came just before his boss, Nlala Nene, was fired by Zuma.

If he had accepted, Jonas at that time said he would be expected to eliminate key officials from the Ministry of Finance from their posts and use his position to progress the “Gupta family ‘business ambitions – an example of what was known in South Africa as a” capture of the state “.

Later he said he was said he would be killed If he has ever talked about the meeting. The Gupta family denied the allegations while Zuma had always denied all the accusations of corruption against him.

In the end, Nen was replaced since then the little-known David Van Royen, which led to a breakthrough of the currency and national protests before a new finance minister was appointed only days later.

Jonas is currently serving as an independent non -exhaust chairman of the multinational telecommunications company MTN Group, which Ramafosa has said he will continue with his appointment as a special envoy.

Ramafosa earlier this year announced that he would send envoys to several countries, including the United States, to explain the country’s position on key issues, some of which have attracted the Trump administration’s fury.

Relations between the US and South Africa, characterized by ups and falls over the years, hit a rocky bottom earlier this year, with Trump cutting off the country’s help, citing the new alienation law that allows the government to confiscate the land without compensation in certain circumstances.

Trump, in the weekend publication, repeated his intention to boycott the upcoming G20 2025 summit, which is being held in South Africa later this year, pointing to the controversial policy of the land as a major cause.

Trump also condemned South Africa for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing him of performing a genocide in the Gaza Strip, which Israel denied.