The U.S. State Department has given South Africa’s Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool until Friday, March 21, to leave the country, following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s declaration last week that he is “persona non grata.” The decision, announced on Monday, marks a rare expulsion of a foreign ambassador, escalating tensions between the Trump administration and South Africa. Rasool’s diplomatic privileges expired Monday, the department confirmed, after formally notifying the South African embassy.

Rubio’s move, posted on X as he returned from a G7 meeting in Canada on Friday, branded Rasool a “race-baiting politician” who “hates President Donald Trump.” He linked to a Breitbart article about Rasool’s webinar remarks with Johannesburg’s Mapungubwe Institute, where the ambassador critiqued Trump’s policies amid America’s shifting demographics. “We made the embassy aware that Ambassador Rasool has been found unacceptable,” a State Department statement read, signaling the end of his tenure just two months after presenting credentials in January.

South African Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation Monday that Rasool remains in the U.S. but will depart “as soon as possible.” Phiri expressed dismay at Rubio’s social media-first approach, noting, “Twitter (X) seems the preferred mode of communication for this administration,” and stressed that diplomatic channels should have been used initially. President Cyril Ramaphosa, addressing reporters, called it a “hiccup” his government aims to resolve respectfully. “We will engage with the United States formally to put our relationship on an even keel,” he said, downplaying long-term damage.

The expulsion follows Trump’s February executive order cutting aid to South Africa, citing its land policies—allegedly anti-white—and its support for Hamas and Iran, including a genocide case against Israel at The Hague. Rasool’s critique of Trump’s “supremacist” leanings, tied to Elon Musk’s influence, has fueled the rift. As Pretoria pledges to mend ties, this diplomatic spat—unusual for its high level—underscores a rocky start to Trump’s second term, with X posts reflecting global surprise at the administration’s blunt tactics.