The South African presidency has denied claims that Special Envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas was denied from joining a high-level delegation to meet with US President Donald Trump due to visa issues.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Jonas’s absence from the Washington visit was at his own request, and had no impact on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s official program.
“The Presidency acknowledges recent commentary regarding Mr Jonas deems it prudent to provide clarity,” Magwenya said in a media statement.
“Initial interpretations of procedural matters, communicated in good faith, have been amended following confirmation that Mr Jonas holds a valid US visa.”
Speculation about Jonas’s exclusion arose after reports suggested the Trump administration raised concerns over past remarks he had made, in which he reportedly called Trump “a racist, a homophobe, and a narcissistic right-winger.”
The comments resurfaced after Ramaphosa appointed him envoy to the US in April.
Jonas, a former deputy finance minister, later clarified that the remarks were made in 2020 when he was not in a government office, and was speaking in his capacity as an activist.
“People move on and confront challenges of the time,” Jonas said.
“The task at hand is to work on the relations between the two countries.”
On Wednesday, Eyewitness News journalist Clement Manyathela posted on X that Magwenya acknowledged on Radio 702 that “displeasure” from the Trump administration was a factor in Jonas’s absence.
According to Manyathela, Magwenya said that the Presidency may consider alternative envoys if issues remain unresolved.
Meanwhile, Jonas had been expected to lead engagements with US government officials and private-sector leaders to boost diplomatic and trade relations.
Ramaphosa’s meeting with Trump in the Oval Office came as Pretoria seeks to reset strained ties with Washington, worsened by disputes over land reform, US aid cuts, and refugee claims involving white South Africans.
The US had previously declared former South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool “persona non grata” after he publicly criticised the Trump administration.
Politics
