The appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as South Africa's Special Envoy to the United States has sparked controversy, with some US groups and officials objecting to previous remarks he made about President Donald Trump.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, this week, appointed Jonas as the Special Envoy to the US following the expulsion of former Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.
Jonas in 2020 referred to Trump as "a racist, homophobic, and narcissistic right-winger" in a speech to the Ahmad Kathrada Foundation.
The appointment also comes amid tensions between SA and the US, particularly in light of a recent US funding freeze due to false accusations that the SA government is readying itself to illegally grab land.
Recently IOL reported that US right-wing publications Breitbart and National Review have dug up Jonas' past comments, questioning his suitability for the role.
These publications are known supporters of Trump's Republican Party and have been critical of SA's relations with the US.
The usually outspoken Trump and the US government has not yet officially indicated its position on Jonas' appointment.
“The US government's position on Jonas' appointment will likely be known in the coming days, and could have implications for future diplomatic relations between SA and the US, but there is no real issue with the Special Envoy appointed so far,” said a US embassy official who did not want to be named because they are not allowed to speak to the media.
South African lobby groups Solidarity and AfriForum have also voiced strong opposition to Jonas' appointment, questioning his ability to mend ties with the Trump administration.
Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, downplayed Jonas' utterances saying the he was speaking in his private capacity.
"There is a distinct difference between Rasool and Jonas. Rasool made assertions when he was on SA official business while Jonas was not," Magwenya said.
Jonas has recently explained that his previous remarks were made in the context of his role as an activist in 2020, rather than as a government official.
"I guess I must put that in context. At the time, I was outside of government, at the time I was speaking as an activist," Jonas said in an interview with a radio station.
He emphasised his commitment to improving relations between the two countries and noted that he has the backing of the SA government and its people.
International Relations expert Dr. Rich Mashimbye, said Jonas' views might not sit well with the White House, given the Trump administration's hostility towards South Africa.
"The Trump administration has been hostile towards SA, as seen with its false allegations that the SA government was 'seizing land' from its white citizens and (through) the expulsion of Ibrahim Rasool," Mashimbye said.
He suggested that Jonas' reputation for integrity, due to his role in exposing state capture, might work in his favor with the US government.
"Generally, Jonas is someone who is viewed as an upright person by both major parties in the GNU, owing to his part in exposing the so-called state capture," Mashimbye said.
However, Mashimbye noted that the Trump administration's hostility towards SA is driven by right-wing groups and influential individuals like Elon Musk, who have direct access to the White House.
"These organisations and individuals have been feeding Trump lies about SA's economic transformation journey and Trump's speeches on SA have been filled with phrases that include 'white genocide' and 'land grabs'.
"In his second presidential term, Trump seems to be on the warpath with many leaders and countries in the world, as he purportedly seeks to restructure deals and relations that the US has in order to achieve his 'Make America Great Again' goals. South Africa is caught up in this, with its situation exacerbated by white propagandists with links to the country hellbent on selling a narrative of racial subjugation and white genocide to Trump,” Mashimbye said
Political analyst Sandile Swana questioned the objection to Jonas' appointment, citing his solid business profile and ability to understand numbers.
"Jonas is chairman of one of the largest telecommunications giants in Africa, so he has a solid business profile like Elon Musk and others, including Trump himself," Swana said.
"This is someone who will understand the numbers. The entire trade war is about optimising US wealth. At the end of all this chaos is the need for the US to be financially better off,” Swana said.