South Africa’s new special envoy to the United States called Trump a racist, homophobic and narcissistic

PRETORIA, April 17, 2025 — South Africa’s newly appointed special envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas, is facing immediate controversy over remarks he made in 2020 sharply criticizing former U.S. President Donald Trump, just days after being tasked with mending strained relations between the two nations.

Jonas, a former deputy finance minister and a respected figure in South Africa’s political and economic circles, was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week. His mission: to help rebuild diplomatic ties with Washington after a series of diplomatic clashes under the Trump administration led to the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador and the suspension of U.S. funding.

But attention quickly shifted to a speech Jonas delivered on November 8, 2020 — five days after Joe Biden’s presidential victory — in which he described Trump as a “racist, homophobic, narcissistic right-winger” and blamed his rise on a “global democratic failure.”

“Right now, the U.S. is undergoing a watershed moment,” Jonas said during South Africa’s annual Ahmed Kathrada Lecture. “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 all democracies need to ponder over.”

The comments, resurfaced by media outlets following Jonas’ appointment, have already sparked backlash among Trump supporters and raised questions about his ability to engage effectively with key figures in Washington — particularly as Trump positions himself for a possible political comeback in the U.S.

There has been no official response from Jonas or the South African government on the speech. However, following his appointment, Jonas acknowledged that diplomatic efforts would be challenging given “recent global developments” and pledged to work toward a “healthy working relationship” with the U.S.

The relationship between the two countries has been rocky in recent years. In February, the Trump administration issued an executive order suspending all U.S. financial assistance to South Africa, citing what it called “anti-white and anti-American” policies. That move followed comments by then-Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, who criticized Trump and the “supremacist instinct” behind the Make America Great Again movement during a public webinar.

Rasool was subsequently expelled from the U.S., and no new ambassador has been named.

The flashpoint for many of the tensions stems from Trump’s repeated — and widely debunked — claims that the South African government is seizing land from white farmers and allowing violence against them. Although a new land reform law allows expropriation without compensation under specific public interest conditions, no land has yet been taken. Still, right-wing lobby groups from South Africa’s white minority have leveraged the issue to gain traction with the Trump administration, prompting Trump to introduce a controversial refugee program specifically for white South African farmers.

Jonas’ past remarks may complicate South Africa’s diplomatic reset — especially if Trump or his allies return to power. However, analysts argue that Jonas’ background in economic reform and political stability makes him a credible choice for the post, especially in light of Ramaphosa’s efforts to reposition South Africa as a reliable trade and diplomatic partner on the global stage.

“Jonas understands both the political landscape and the economic realities of global diplomacy,” said Dr. Zanele Molefe, a foreign policy analyst at the University of Pretoria. “His comments in 2020 reflected a broad international sentiment at the time. The challenge now is to move past political noise and focus on policy substance.”

With the U.S.–South Africa relationship still in a delicate phase, all eyes will be on Jonas to see if he can navigate the fallout from his past words and chart a new path forward.