An Ambassador is Deemed "Persona Non Grata"

This past Friday, South Africa's Ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, was declared "persona non grata" by our State Department, and has until Friday to leave the country. Why? Because he is accused of being a "race-baiting politician" who hates President Donald Trump.

Having a dislike for President  Trump is not new by some foreign, or even American people, but in the context it was revealed made his continued welcome here impossible to continue.

Tammy Bruce, State Department spokesperson, revealed that Rasool, speaking by videoconference to a South African think tank webinar, talked about actions taken by the Trump administration in the context of a United States where white people soon would no longer be in the majority.

Secretary Rubio's decision was the latest Trump administration move targeting South Africa.

Trump signed an executive order last month halting funding to the country. It criticized the Black-led South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting "bad actors" in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Monday that Rasool would give him a report when he returned home.

Ramaphosa said his government has "noted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States," and particularly about Rasool's remarks, but stressed that he believed South Africa was in the process of rebuilding its relationship with the US.

"This is a hiccup, a hiccup we are working on straightening out," he said.

"We will engage with the United States of America in a formal way," Ramaphosa said. "We will do so with deep respect for them and for President Trump as well. Our relationship with the United States is going to be put on an even keel, so I would like the people of South Africa not to have sleepless nights."

Bruce, in turn, said the United States expects a certain level of respect.

"We've had a decent level of diplomacy with South Africa. There are some challenges, but you want people in each embassy who can actually facilitate a relationship," she told reporters on Monday. "And these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the President, but to every American."

Since 1994, when the de Clerk government transitioned to the government established by President Nelson Mandela, the US and South Africa have maintained generally friendly and cordial relations over the years. But this action by the South African Ambassador had put those relations on a trajectory to fail.

Perhaps a new Ambassador will be able to help smooth over some of the damage caused by Ambassador Rasool. We will see.