President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged political parties and organisations to avoid actions that could further strain South Africa’s diplomatic relations with the United States following the expulsion of former Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.
Presidency’s Appeal for Caution
According EyewitessNews, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya emphasised the government’s concern over the risk of provocative statements surrounding Rasool’s homecoming.
“We would like to urge all political formations that are planning various homecoming rallies for Ambassador Rasool to assist us and refrain from partaking or engaging in action that may seem inflammatory and may worsen the already volatile diplomatic relationship with the United States,” Magwenya stated.
Some African National Congress (ANC) branches in the Western Cape are already circulating flyers urging people to come out in their numbers to welcome Rasool back.
According to SABCNews, Mangweya says the President is willing to address issues that the Trump administration may have.
”The President is concerned with the current state of relations with the United States. The President is on record saying that he will lead the intensification of engagement between ourselves and the various levels of the Trump administration to iron out whatever issues there are. There seems to be a number of issues that are of concern from Washington and the President is keen to have those issues addressed.”
Cosatu’s Strong Backing for Rasool
While the Presidency has now called for restraint, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) had already made its position clear when news of Rasool’s expulsion first emerged.
According to IOL, Cosatu argued that Rasool’s expulsion undermined South Africa’s sovereignty and diplomatic independence.
Cosatu’s Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Malvern de Bruyn, previously stated that Rasool has long been an advocate for social justice and that his remarks aligned with South Africa’s historical commitment to human rights.
“As Cosatu, we are saying that Ebrahim Rasool is one of us. He is a child of the soil,” de Bruyn declared at the time.
In response to Rasool’s removal, Cosatu also called for the expulsion of the US Ambassador to South Africa.
What steps do you think political parties and organisations should take to restore and strengthen South Africa’s diplomatic ties with the United States?
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