US should not harass us, say opposition parties

Opposition parties in South Africa called on his president not to be “harassed” from the United States after Washington expelled Ambassador Ebrahim Rasol, giving him only 72 hours to leave the country.

Rasool was declared an unwanted person after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a “race politician who hates America” Friday.

The tension between South African and the United States has been on a descending spiral ever since US President Donald Trump has taken office.

However, South Africa International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola told State presenter SABC that “it is not useful to join in Twitter diplomacy”, saying that the two countries should talk “face -to -face”.

Other politicians were less measured in their response.

The Opposition Economic Freedom Party of Julius Malema (EFF) issued a scarce statement against the United States, calling on South Africa President Cyril Ramafosa “not to allow the country to be harassed by the orange clown, occupying the White House.”

The Secretary -General of the Panfrican Congress (PAC) APA also condemned the US decision, calling it an attack on South Africa sovereignty and an attempt to dictate politics in the country.

“SA is not a US puppet. We have the right to rule our country without any intervention,” he said.

Trump is a vocal critic of the controversial land bill in South Africa, which allows the government to confiscate the land without compensation in certain circumstances.

Last month, Trump interrupted the help of South Africa. He claims that there was discrimination against the white minority of Africaner, descendants of Dutch and French settlers.

South Africa denies this.

Previously, Rasool was the US ambassador from 2010 to 2015, when Barack Obama was president.

He was appointed ambassador again in 2024 because of his previous experience and the vast network of contacts in Washington.

But despite his record, he faced the challenges that organize meetings with Trump.

An unnamed South African diplomat told Semafor’s news site that someone with the ambassador’s “history of the ambassador’s” history of the ambassador, among other things, “is not likely to do well in this job right now.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA), a coalition partner in the government of South Africa National Unity (GNU) – asked why the largest party, the African National Congress (ANC), still chooses all its foreign diplomats.

“It’s just not right that Anc has Carte Blanche for foreign policy and diplomats’ appointments, while they are only a 39% party,” Da Willie Aucamp spokesman told SABC as he called on GNU members to go to Washington to relieve tensions.