Mcebisi Jonas is Appointed as the Special US Envoy by South Africa in an Effort to Reduce Tensions

On Monday, the South African government declared that Mcebisi Jonas had been appointed as the country’s “Special Envoy to the United States of America, serving as the official representative of the President and the government of the Republic of South Africa.”

Former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas was the investment envoy in 2018. In 2016, he claimed that the Gupta family had sought to pay him for the finance ministership, accusing the government of corruption under former South African President Jacob Zuma.

As Washington and Pretoria ties are at their lowest point in years, he was designated as the US special envoy. President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this year to stop US foreign aid to South Africa quickly worsened the situation.

Additionally, Ebrahim Rasool, the ambassador of South Africa to the United States, was removed from American territory and proclaimed a persona non grata in late March due to his negative statements on the Trump administration.

However, President Ramaphosa stated in his statement announcing the appointment of the special US ambassador that he was “committed to rebuilding and maintaining” the relationship with Washington.

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