Ebrahim Rasool’s remarks ‘unfit for a diplomat’ – former ambassador

Rasool

Cape Town – Former diplomat Kingsley Mathebula has criticised Ebrahim Rasool’s comments, which led to his expulsion as South Africa’s ambassador to the United States.

During a seminar at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Rasool remarked that Donald Trump’s leadership was founded on principles of white supremacy.

According to EWN, Mathebula, who has served as an ambassador to Portugal and Kenya, argued that, regardless of the accuracy of Rasool’s views, it was undiplomatic for him to express them.

“Once he started to venture into the domestic space, the lingo, the language, everything used here, it’s so polarised, and he got involved in that, he got entangled in that, and used the language that as a sitting ambassador he should not have used to describe the president that he’s accredited to,” the report quoted Mathebula as saying. 

Mathebula called Rasool’s actions reckless, particularly his use of polarised language about the US president.

Meanwhile President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that he expects a comprehensive report from Rasool, following his abrupt removal from the diplomatic post.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Bana Pele Early Childhood Development Leadership Summit in Braamfontein, Gauteng, where he delivered the keynote address, Ramaphosa acknowledged the diplomatic strain caused by Rasool’s remarks but emphasised that discussions with the US were ongoing.

“Ebrahim Rasool will be coming back soon as the US State Department has ruled that he is no longer acceptable in the US, and he is going to come back and give me a full report. So, I will wait for a full report from him.

“But at the same time, we have noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States, particularly about the remarks he made. And we have noted that and we will engage with them as we are already engaging with them,” Ramaphosa said.

Rasool’s expulsion has raised concerns over the potential impact on South Africa-US relations, particularly in the areas of trade and diplomatic cooperation.

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