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President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mcebisi Jonas, a former deputy finance minister, as South Africa’s special envoy to the United States. The move comes amid strained relations between Pretoria and Washington, worsened by the recent expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador by the Trump administration.
Ramaphosa said Jonas’ new role would focus on restoring ties with the U.S., which have frayed since Donald Trump returned to office. Trump has repeatedly accused South Africa’s government of anti-white discrimination and adopting what he calls anti-American stances in global affairs.
In February, Trump signed an executive order slashing U.S. funding to South Africa, citing land reform policies and Pretoria’s legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice as grounds. Over the weekend, Trump intensified his rhetoric, posting on Truth Social that the U.S. should skip this year’s G20 summit if it’s held in Johannesburg as planned. “Is this where we want to be for the G20? I don’t think so!” he wrote.
Trump also repeated discredited claims that white farmers in South Africa are facing state-sanctioned land grabs and racially motivated violence — allegations both the South African government and independent watchdogs have denied. While South Africa has passed a land expropriation law allowing land seizures without compensation under specific conditions, no expropriations have yet occurred.
Relations took a further hit in March when South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled following remarks he made during a webinar. Rasool had criticized Trump’s political movement, prompting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to label him a “race-baiting politician” and declare him persona non grata. Rasool was warmly received upon his return to South Africa but has not been replaced.
With no ambassador currently in Washington, Jonas’ appointment as special envoy is seen as a key diplomatic effort to steady a faltering bilateral relationship at a time of mounting political and ideological friction.
