Presidency Defends Mcebisi Jonas Appointment: 'we Don't Believe Trump Holds Grudges'

The Presidency is confident that Mcebisi Jonas will undertake his task as President Cyril Ramaphosas special envoy to the United States US despite his past critical comments about President Donald Trump.

In 2020, Jonas referred to Trump as a narcissistic and racist homophobe, sparking fears of a backlash against his appointment from the Trump administration.

Washington expelled South Africas ambassador Ebrahim Rasool for similarly critical comments about the US President last month.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Ramaphosas spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Jonas made the comments in his private citizen capacity.

At the time, he was not the ambassador. He was not an envoy and did not represent the South African government in any way. So, those comments should be placed in that context, he said.

Magwenya contrasted this with Rasools situation, saying Rasool was in office and serving as the ambassador when he made his remarks.

We believe that members of the Trump administration would be able to differentiate this issue contextually. We believe that Jonas would be able to then engage at the appropriate levels with counterparts and other officials on behalf of the President and South African government, he added.

We dont believe that President Trump is a man that holds grudges. If that was the case, a number of his cabinet members would not be serving in his cabinet.

Magwenya also gave the example of Trumps nomination of Leo Brent Bozell III as the US ambassador to South Africa.

Bozell has previously been critical of Trump. In 2016, he described him in a Fox News interview as "the greatest charlatan of them all," a "huckster" and 'shameless self-promoter," according to a Politico report .