Former US Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, declared persona non grata by the Trump administration, says he has no regrets about his tenure in Washington, after touching down in Cape Town on Sunday.

After 32 hours of travel, via Doha to Cape Town, Rasool and his wife were met by a jubilant crowd of ANC, Cosatu and SACP supporters, and a media scrum all wanting a quote from the expelled Ambassador. Police officers formed a barrier around Rasool, as he tried to make his way through the crowd.

[BREAKING NEWS] Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool arrives back in SA after his expulsion from the United States. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/I6LwbUiobW

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 23, 2025

ALSO READ: Homecoming rally for Rasool on Sunday as Ramaphosa urges restraint

Rasool said while it was not their choice to come home, they do so with no regrets.

“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 with that.”

He added that he would have also liked to be able to secure AGOA – but that this could not be done at the expense of withdrawing South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice against Israel.

“As we stand here the bombing has continued and the shooting has continued and if South Africa did not approach the ICJ, Israel would not be exposed and Palestinians would have no hope.”

Rasool said South Africa would not sacrifice its values for trade.

“We would have preferred to come here and say that we have won for you trade deals but we could not do that by allowing the US to choose who must be our friends and who must be our enemies.”

Even after all that has transpired Rasool insists he is not anti-American, and it is vital that South Africa must rebuild – and reset – its relationship with the US.

He says he believes the matter of declaring him persona non grata was to ensure that South Africa’s access to the White House could not be utilised effectively.

”There is a different agenda, that wants to prioritise white suffering over black needs in South Africa.”

Rasool says the US under Donald Trump is a markedly different administration:

“It is not the US of Obama, it is not the US of Clinton, it is a different US and therefore our language must change, not only for transactionality but also a language that can penetrate a group that has clearly identified a fringe white community in South Africa as their constituency, surrounded by a white diaspora in the White House. That is what we are up against.”

Rasool says he is ready to give a full report to the President.

After his arrival, Rasool issued an additional statement, emphasising the importance of continued engagement with the USA while standing firm on issues like trade, human rights, and non-alignment.

He doubled down on his critique of the ”false narratives about Afrikaner oppression”, while reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to justice, particularly regarding Palestine.

Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool issued this additional written statement on his arrival in Cape Town, South Africa earlier today. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/9GCvsjBndp

— Sherwin Bryce-Pease (@sherwiebp) March 23, 2025