FORMER US ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard has slammed the Trump administration’s ‘obsessive targeting” of Mzansi.
In the series of drastic actions, IOL has reported that South Africa is this week preparing to receive its former Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, who was expelled by the State Department in Washington last week.
Rasool was expelled from the USA on Friday, after sharing his opinion on Donald Trump’s presidency during a webinar. The Trump administration expelled Rasool, giving him 72 hours to leave the US.
In a social media post, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Rasool a “race-baiting politician who hates America” and Trump.
Unimpressed by Rubio's latest action, Gaspard, took to social media to criticise his country.
Gaspard wrote: “We should note that Marco Rubio himself said far worse things about Donald Trump in the past than anything said by Ambassador Rasool.
“Let’s be real about what these people are up to with their obsessive targeting of South Africa and their performance of grievance.”
Gaspard was a key figure in former US president Barack Obama’s administration, and held a number of prominent positions during Obama’s two terms in office - including serving as US ambassador to South Africa.
Rasool also previously served as SA ambassador to the US during the Obama administration between 2010 and 2015, before returning during Joe Biden’s time in the White House.
Meanwhile, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) in Pretoria said efforts are underway to replace Rasool and attempt to fix bilateral relations.
Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika: “The process has started to some extent.
“This person will be presented, the name, to the president and of course the president will decide.”
During the interview, Phiri could not be drawn into the discussion on whether a specific individual has already been identified, save to say the internal processes of Dirco had begun.