DA Spokesperson on International Relations Emma Louise Powell claims in a statement that Special Envoy Mcebisi Jonas was denied a visa to enter the United States, leaving South Africa without official representation in Washington just weeks before potentially devastating trade sanctions take effect.
According to Powell, the United States formally rejected Jonas’s credentials in May and informed the South African Presidency that he would not be recognised as the country’s official interlocutor.
Jonas’s appointment as Special Envoy came over 90 days ago, following Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool’s expulsion from Washington. President Cyril Ramaphosa positioned the appointment as a critical intervention to prevent the collapse of vital export industries under “liberation day tariffs” – punitive 30% tariffs set to take effect within two weeks.
The DA alleges that the Ramaphosa administration was explicitly advised on multiple occasions that Jonas was not acceptable to Washington, with US officials urging South Africa to appoint an alternative envoy.
Presidential response
Despite these alleged communications, President Ramaphosa continued to publicly support Jonas’s appointment. In a televised SABC interview in June 2025, the President declared: “Mcebisi Jonas is still my North American envoy and has done good work.”
When questions were raised about Jonas’s official engagements, Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya defended the appointment and accused critics of “encroaching” on the President’s constitutional powers.
Opposition criticism
Powell said: “The Presidency owes South Africans a full and honest explanation as to how it can justify having doubled down on the appointment of a rapporteur whose credentials have been officially rejected by the host government.”
She added: “In the wake of Ambassador Rasool’s disgraced expulsion from the United States, it has become undeniable that the President is now more concerned with saving face than with safeguarding the livelihoods of South African businesses and workers who will ultimately pay the price for his inaction.”
Economic implications
With no recognised South African representative in Washington and tariff hikes of 30% set to take effect imminently, export industries face potential losses running into billions of rands. The situation has raised questions about South Africa’s diplomatic strategy during times of tension.
Powell emphasised: “Now that the nation is aware that there is in fact no special representative advocating for South Africa in Washington on behalf of the Presidency, it is clear that our economy may in coming weeks lose billions of rands in exports when liberation day tariffs come into effect.”
