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Jonas’ appointment sparked controversy over remarks he made about US President Donald Trump more than four years ago.
Former Deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas. Picture: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Thulani Mbele.
As President Cyril Ramaphosa’s new special envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas, warned there were no “quick fixes” to repairing the country’s fraught relationship with the US.
Jonas’ appointment has got a thumbs up from some, while others scrutinised his past remarks about US President Donald Trump.
Jonas’s appointment comes after Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February, in which he said South Africa “would not be bullied” and that he would look to send special envoys to global capitols, including the US, to explain the country’s laws and policies to the international community.
With the US administration under false impressions about the country’s expropriation laws and the treatment of Afrikaners in South Africa, the job falls on Jonas to ease the tensions between the two countries.
In accepting his new role announced by Ramaphosa on Monday, Jonas thanked the president for “entrusting him with this important but challenging role.”
“I will do my best to promote a healthy working relationship between South Africa and the United States,” he said.
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The former deputy finance minister has appealed for patience in handling the complexity of the situation.
“I am fully cognisant of the difficulties that lie ahead, considering recent global developments. However, I believe that areas of commonality and mutual interest could be embraced to reaffirm the long-standing ties between our two countries.
“There are no quick fixes in such a complex situation. I appeal that, in the national interest, South Africans exercise patience and allow us time and space to engage fully with different stakeholders in the United States and South Africa,” Jonas said.
Meanwhile, the ANC has welcomed the appointment of Jonas as Ramaphosa’s special envoy the US.
The ANC said the move reaffirms South Africa’s strategic intent to “deepen bilateral and multilateral relations anchored in mutual respect, shared interests, and inclusive development”.
“Mr Jonas’ credentials reflect an unwavering commitment to South Africa’s constitutional democracy, economic renewal, and global cooperation,” the party stated.
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However, just hours after Jonas’ appointment, the public were reminded about remarks Jonas made about Trump more than four years ago at the 11th Ahmed Kathrada Foundation lecture, after Trump lost the presidential race for a second consecutive term.
“How we got to a situation where a narcissistic right-winger took charge of the world’s greatest economic and military powerhouse is something we need to ponder over,” Jonas said.
However, Jonas won’t be fulfilling the role of an ambassador to the US.
His appointment as special envoy follows the expulsion of the former South African ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool.
Rasool returned to South Africa last month after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled him and stripped him of his diplomatic privileges.
He was declared persona non grata and given just a week to leave the US due to comments he made about the country and the Trump administration during a webinar.
The Good Party has praised the appointment of Jonas, with secretary general Brett Herron saying that while Rasool’s expulsion was always going to be a significant decision, Jonas’s appointment “reflects both integrity and competence.”
“In a time marked by misinformation and polarisation, it is more critical than ever for South Africa to have a credible and principled representative in Washington, D.C. Divisive organisations like AfriForum, Solidarity, and the Cape Independence Advocacy Group, along with the Democratic Alliance sending their own envoys, have sought to shape narratives abroad that do not reflect the full picture of South Africa’s realities or aspirations.”
While the DA’s Dean Macpherson described Jonas’s appointment as a “solid pair of hands at this time,” the party international relations spokesperson Emma Louise Powell shared a post on X where Jonas made the remark about Trump.
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