NNA – The United States has expelled South Africa#39;s ambassador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, calling the envoy a quot;race-baiting politicianquot; who hates America and Presidentnbsp;Donald Trump.

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Ties between the United States and South Africa havenbsp;deterioratednbsp;since Trump cut U.S. financial aid to the country, citing disapproval of its land policy and of its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Washington#39;s ally Israel.

quot;South Africa#39;s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,quot; Rubio posted on social media platform X. quot;We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.quot;

Rubio reposted an article from right-wing website Breitbart that quoted the envoy, Ebrahim Rasool, as saying on Friday that Trump was leading a white quot;supremacistquot; movement.

South Africa#39;s presidency on Saturday quot;noted the regrettable expulsionquot; of Rasool, saying in a statement it remained committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States.

Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa#39;s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, posted on X that the government quot;will engage through the diplomatic channel.quot;

Rasool has failed to secure routine meetings with State Department officials and key Republican figures since Trump, a Republican, took office in January, the news website Semafor reported this week.

It cited a South African diplomat as saying Rasool#39;s pro-Palestinian views and criticism of Israel seemed to be the reason for him being shut out.

The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

TIES AT #39;LOWEST POINT#39;

U.S.-South Africa ties have reached their quot;lowest point,quot; said Patrick Gaspard, a former U.S. ambassador to South Africa. quot;There#39;s too much at stake to not work towards the repair of this partnership.quot;

Rasool started his tenure by presenting his credentials to then-President Joe Biden on January 13, a week before Trump took office, according to the South African embassy#39;s website. It said this was Rasool#39;s second stint in Washington.

Trump has said, without citing evidence, that quot;South Africa is confiscating landquot; and that quot;certain classes of peoplequot; are being treated quot;very badly.quot;

South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who is close to Trump, has said white South Africans have been the victims of quot;racist ownership laws.quot;

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law anbsp;billnbsp;in January aimed at making it easier for the state to expropriate land in the public interest, in some cases without compensating the owner. — Reuters

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