People are lining up for South Africa’s US ambassador position

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says that since South Africa’s ambassador to the United States (US), Ebrahim Rasool’s expulsion, numerous people have raised their hand to replace him.

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Rasool an undesirable person and expelled him from the country. He was given 72 hours to leave.

Rasool got into the US’ crosshairs after accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of supremacism.

Ramaphosa applying mind on US ambassador

Briefing the media on the president’s programme on Thursday, Magwenya said Ramaphosa would take his time to replace Rasool.

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Magwenya said in the meantime, numerous South Africans have either volunteered to take up the challenge or nominated someone else.

“The president will not rush the process of appointing the new ambassador. He’s applying his mind. In fact, the president appreciates the numerous messages that he’s received. He has been inundated by messages from people volunteering to be posted in Washington and people making suggestions of individuals to be considered for Washington,” said Magwenya.

“However, the president will take his time to consider his options regarding this appointment. The absence of an ambassador in Washington does not mean the absence of engagements with the Trump administration.

ALSO READ: WATCH: US’ message to other ambassadors after ‘unacceptable’ Rasool remarks

“It’s not a process that the president wants to rush; it’s a process that he wants to carefully apply his mind to against the prevailing conditions and opportunities we see further down the line from an improved relationship.

“We can’t go on for more months with this kind of diplomatic stalemate between us and the US. The sooner it’s resolved, the better for everybody concerned.”

SA not fighting US

Magwenya further dismissed the Trump administration’s claims that South Africa is actively working against US interests, including hosting Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We are not adopting a posture of fighting the US; our posture is constructive. Where untruths have been said about SA, we are obliged and duty-bound to correct them. We do not seek a fight with the US.

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“The president is concerned about the state of relations with the US. He is on record saying he will lead the intensification of engagements between us and the various levels of the Trump administration to iron out whatever issues there are. Washington seems to have a number of concerns, and the president is keen to have those issues addressed.”

The president is guiding initiatives to reset the relationship between the US and SA, particularly on the trade front.

“The DTIC [Department of Trade, Industry and Competition] is leading the process to look at that basket of tradeable goods and look at how we expand it so that at an appropriate time when we begin to have escalated engagements between ourselves and the Trump administration, we’re able to take a more forward-looking approach to the relationship rather than being stuck in a series of protests about things that have been said in the past of things that are currently being said.

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“What we’ll do is continue correcting distortions where they are being reported from an official level out of the United States.”