South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, recently expelled from the United States following tensions with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, received a raucous welcome upon his return to Cape Town. Crowds gathered at Cape Town International Airport on Sunday, cheering as Rasool and his wife, Rosieda, emerged into the arrivals terminal. The couple required a police escort to navigate through the massive crowd that had come to show their support.
“A declaration of persona non grata is meant to humiliate you,” Rasool told supporters, addressing them with a megaphone. “But when you return to crowds like this, and with warmth … like this, then I will wear my persona non grata as a badge of dignity. It was not our choice to come home, but we come home with no regrets.”
The expulsion of Rasool came amidst escalating tensions, with Trump accusing South Africa of adopting anti-American stances, supporting groups like Hamas and Iran, and pursuing alleged anti-white policies. The Trump administration’s executive order last month cut all funding to South Africa, citing these allegations.
Rasool, however, emphasized the importance of maintaining diplomatic ties, stating, “We don’t come here to say we are anti-American. We are not here to call on you to throw away our interests with the United States.”
The move to expel Rasool, which included the removal of his diplomatic immunities and privileges, is highly unusual in diplomatic practice. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision, describing Rasool as a “race-baiting politician” hostile to the U.S.
South Africa’s government, meanwhile, has stood firm in its position on international issues, including its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Rasool’s defiant tone and the outpouring of support at his homecoming underscore the depth of public sentiment regarding South Africa’s sovereignty and diplomatic principles.
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