WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The State Department says South Africa鈥檚 ambassador to the United States, who was declared 鈥減ersona non grata鈥� last week, has until Friday to leave the country.
After Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that in the U.S. and posted his decision Friday on social media, South African embassy staff were summoned to the State Department and given a formal diplomatic note explaining the decision, department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
She said Rasool鈥檚 diplomatic privileges and immunities expired Monday and that he would be required to leave the United States by Friday.
South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said in a television interview on Monday that Rasool was still in the U.S. but would be leaving as soon as possible.
Rubio announced his decision in a as he was flying back to the United States from a in Canada. In it, he accused Rasool of being a 鈥渞ace-baiting politician鈥� who hates President Donald Trump.
His post linked to a story by the conservative Breitbart news site about a talk Rasool gave earlier Friday in Johannesburg as part of a South African think tank鈥檚 webinar. Rasool, speaking by videoconference, talked about actions taken by the Trump administration in the context of a United States where white people soon would no longer be in the majority.
It is highly unusual for the U.S. to expel a foreign ambassador, although lower-ranking diplomats are more frequently targeted with persona non grata status.
Rubio's decision was the latest Trump administration move targeting South Africa. Trump last month halting funding to the country. It criticized the Black-led South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting 鈥渂ad actors鈥� in the world like the and Iran.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters on Monday that Rasool would give him a report when he returned home.
Ramaphosa said his government has 鈥渘oted the displeasure that has been expressed by the United States,鈥� and particularly about Rasool's remarks, but stressed that he believed South Africa was in the process of rebuilding its relationship with the U.S.
鈥淭his is a hiccup, a hiccup we are working on straightening out," he said.
鈥淲e will engage with the United States of America in a formal way," Ramaphosa said. "We will do so with deep respect for them and for President Trump as well. Our relationship with the United States is going to be put on an even keel, so I would like the people of South Africa not to have sleepless nights.鈥�
Bruce said the United States expects a certain level of respect.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a decent level of diplomacy with South Africa. There are some challenges, but you want people in each embassy who can actually facilitate a relationship,鈥� she told reporters on Monday. 鈥淎nd these remarks were unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president, but to every American.鈥�
The Foreign Ministry spokesman said South Africa intended to raise questions with the U.S. over Rubio seemingly announcing on social media that Rasool was no longer welcome in the U.S. before informing him of the decision.
Phiri said South Africa believed such matters should first be discussed through diplomatic channels. 鈥淏ut this is the reality that we also have to contend with with this administration. That it does seem as though Twitter (X) is the preferred mode of communication,鈥� the spokesman said in an interview on the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation.
Bruce said the meeting with South African embassy staff was on Friday. Rubio's post went out at 4:42 p.m. on Friday.
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Gerald Imray in Cape Town, South Africa, contributed.
