International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says Pretoria will continue to engage the United States administration so both countries can raise their concerns and put forward their grievances.
Lamola spoke to the media on Saturday following the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool. He says the relations between the two countries are both beneficial.
“It is not helping to engage in megaphone and Twitter diplomacy but we have to engage with each other face-to-face on various issues of mutual concern in our relations with the US. We think we still have to engage and open the lines of diplomatic engagements because, as we have said, it is a very important trading partner.”
Rasool says he’s been in tougher situations, but was confident that the country would survive this moment.
Speaking to SABC News after his expulsion from the country by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for remarks made during a webinar linked to the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Rasool said South Africa should not lose the momentum they had been building towards direct engagement with the US administration of President Donald Trump.
Rasool spoke to us off the record but appeared to be in good spirits despite the decision to expel him from the United States. He has been given until next Friday to depart the country, capping a tumultuous three-month stint after presenting his credentials to former President Joe Biden on January 13th, a week before Donald Trump was inaugurated.
