US-expelled South Africa Envoy Returns Home To Rousing Welcome

Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s former ambassador to the United States, who was recently expelled and declared persona non grata, received a warm and enthusiastic welcome upon his return to South Africa. On Sunday, hundreds of supporters gathered at Cape Town International Airport, singing songs in praise of the ex-ambassador.

As Rasool and his wife, Rosieda, emerged at the airport, they were greeted by a crowd so large that a police escort was required to help them navigate through the terminal.

In a speech to his supporters, Rasool addressed the declaration of persona non grata, saying, “A declaration of persona non grata is meant to humiliate you, 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.”

He continued, “It was not our choice to come home, but we come home with no regrets.”

Rasool was expelled from the U.S. after comments he made during a webinar, in which he referred to the “Make America Great Again” movement as partially driven by a “supremacist instinct.” He reiterated his stance on those remarks, emphasizing that they were meant to highlight the changing political landscape in the U.S.

“It is not the U.S. of Obama, it is not the U.S. of Clinton, it is a different U.S. and therefore our language must change,” Rasool said, defending his analysis as a reflection on a political phenomenon rather than a critique of a nation or its government.

Rasool also commented on the strained U.S.-South Africa relations, especially after President Donald Trump imposed sanctions against the country, accusing the South African government of supporting militant groups like Hamas and Iran, as well as pursuing anti-white policies.

Despite the U.S. expulsion, Rasool emphasized that his return did not signal a shift toward anti-American sentiment. “We don’t come here to say we are anti-American,” he told the crowd. “We are not here to call on you to throw away our interests with the United States.”

The expulsion of Rasool, a rare move by the U.S., marked a significant diplomatic clash. His public comments were his first since being removed from his position and ordered to leave the U.S. last week.