President Cyril Ramaphosa will not rush the process of appointing a new ambassador to the US amid escalating tensions between Pretoria and Washington DC, according to his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
Magwenya said the Ramaphosa will “apply his mind” and “it does not help for him to rush the process”.
“In fact, the President appreciates the numerous messages that he's received. He has been inundated by messages from people volunteering themselves to be posted in Washington, and from people making suggestions of individuals to be considered for Washington.
“However, the President is going to take his time in considering his options with regards to this appointment,” he said.
Magwenya was briefing the media on the recent developments in the country on Thursday in Pretoria.
His remarks come after the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool as the ambassador to the US. The US accused Rasool of being a "race-baiting politician" who has a grudge against President Donald Trump.
However, Magwenya said the absence of an ambassador in Washington does not mean the absence of engagements with Trump’s administration.
"Equally, the US has not appointed an ambassador yet, but we've been able at various levels of the government to continue to have engagements with diplomats from the US Embassy," Magwenya said.
“Similarly, in our case, we will continue to have engagements with the Trump administration without an ambassador. It's not a process that the President wants to rush.
“It's a process that he wants to carefully apply his mind on against the prevailing conditions as well as against the opportunities that we see further down the line for an improved relationship with the Trump administration,” he said.
Meanwhile, Magwenya cautioned the country to exercise their constitutional rights respectfully when Rasool returns home.
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