Cape Town – Expelled US ambassador Ebrahim Rasool has spoken out about his unsuccessful efforts to engage Washington on issues affecting South Africa, citing resistance from US officials.
Upon his return to Cape Town on Sunday, Rasool was greeted with a hero’s welcome by ANC supporters.
Thousands gathered at Cape Town International to welcome Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool and his wife home. A true hero’s welcome for a man who has served South Africa with dignity, courage, and unwavering commitment. #WelcomeHome #EbrahimRasool pic.twitter.com/VGRRMbne73
— Carlo Peters🇿🇦🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 (@peters_peters4) March 23, 2025
His expulsion followed controversial remarks he made during a webinar, in which he linked former US President Donald Trump to white supremacy. The US government subsequently declared him persona non grata.
“It was not our choice to come home, but we come here with no regrets. I want to say that we would have liked to come back with a welcome like this if we could report to you that we had turned away the lies of a white genocide in South Africa. But we did not succeed in America with that,” Rasool told journalists.
(A video clip of his statement was shared on social media by SABC News)
[WATCH] “It was not our choice to come home, but we come home with no regrets,” says Ebrahim Rasool, the former South African ambassador, as he returns following his expulsion by the United States. pic.twitter.com/XIQn9cDrvQ
— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 23, 2025
Rasool expressed disappointment over his inability to secure key trade agreements, such as the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides preferential trade access to the US market for African countries, including South Africa.
“We would have preferred to come here to say that we have won for you AGOA, but we could not win it… We would have preferred to come here and say we have won for you trade deals, but we could not do so,” he admitted.
Despite these setbacks, Rasool emphasised that South Africa’s relationship with the US extends beyond the White House to Congress and the American public.
“Even after being declared persona non grata, we still come here and say we must rebuild and reset the relationship with America. Our relationship with America over 50 years has not always been with the White House. It has sometimes been with Congress, and it has always been with the people of the United States of America.”
Rasool defended his remarks, stating that they were an analysis of political conditions rather than a personal attack on the US government.
“My remarks were on the Mistra Mapungubwe Forum, speaking to South African intelligentsia, intellectuals, political leaders, and others to alert them to a changed condition in the United States. That the old way of doing business with the US was not going to work. And so there’s nothing that I will say there that I would not say elsewhere. And so I would stand by my analysis because we were analysing a political phenomenon, not a personality, not a nation, and not even a government. And so I stand by that,” he said.
While he was unable to gain direct access to the White House, Rasool viewed his expulsion as proof that his message had reached the highest levels of the US government. He stressed the importance of mending diplomatic and economic relations while ensuring South Africa maintains its sovereignty and dignity.
His comments come at a crucial time as South Africa faces uncertainty over its continued participation in AGOA, which has been a key driver of economic cooperation between the two nations.
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