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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Ramaphosa expects a full report from Rasool as he tries to mend US relations

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will request a full report from the now-former US Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool after his sudden expulsion from the US over the weekend.

 

Rasool was declared persona non grata by the US administration after his comments during a webinar on Friday, in which he accused Donald Trump of mobilizing white supremacy.

 

ALSO READ: Ebrahim Rasool expelled as US Ambassador after Trump ‘supremacism’ comment

 

He was then reportedly given 72 hours to leave the country.

 

Ramaphosa, speaking to the media this morning on the sidelines of an ECD leadership summit in Johannesburg, said South Africa would engage the US on this and other matters.

 

“Rasool 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.”

 

The President confirmed that the government would soon send envoys to the US, including from the business community and government officials to improve relations with America.

 

“Improving our relationship with the United States of America is a priority for us. They are our second largest trading partner after China, and we will therefore seek, as we must, to ensure that our relations are on a good footing.”

 

The Presidency was reportedly only made aware of Rasool’s expulsion after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted about the matter on X.

 

 

 

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

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