Who is South Africa's new US envoy? Mcebisi Jonas once called Trump 'racist'

UPDATED: Apr 17, 2025 00:12 IST

South Africa’s newly appointed special envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas, landed in hot water before even boarding a plane to Washington. Jonas, a former deputy finance minister and a senior figure in the African Congress (ANC), is under scrutiny for calling US President Donald Trump a “racist, homophobic, narcissistic right-winger” in a 2020 speech.

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Jonas on Monday, tasking him with the formidable job of mending strained ties with the US, which have worsened significantly during Trump’s second term.

Jonas’ appointment follows a diplomatic rupture: last month, the Trump administration expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, labelling him a “race-baiting politician” after he linked the MAGA movement to “a supremacist instinct” during a webinar.

Now Jonas finds himself stepping into a diplomatic minefield — armed with a record of sharp criticism of the very leader he’s meant to engage.

WHAT JONAS SAID IN 2020

In a address delivered just five days after Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, Jonas didn’t mince words. “Right now, the US is undergoing a watershed moment, with Biden the certain winner in the presidential race against the racist, homophobic Donald Trump,” Jonas said. “How we got to a situation where a narcissistic right-winger took charge of the world’s greatest economic and military powerhouse is something that we need to ponder over. It is something that all democracies need to ponder over.”

Jonas was delivering South Africa’s annual Ahmed Kathrada Lecture, where public figures are invited to give a speech for the foundation of Kathrada, one of the anti-apartheid activists put on trial by the white minority government in the 1960s and imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela.

However, Trump, now back in power, has targeted South Africa with an executive order suspending US funding, citing what he claims are “anti-white and anti-American” policies — allegations widely debunked by political leaders and experts across South Africa.

Jonas, however, offered a more measured tone following his appointment. “I will do my best to promote a healthy working relationship between our two nations,” he said, “but I’m also mindful of the difficulties that lie ahead considering recent global developments.”

(With input from Associated Press)