Old Video of Mcebisi Jonas Calling Donald Trump a Racist Resurfaces, SA Concerned
- Less than a few days after president Cyril Ramaphosa announced on 14 April 2025 that Mcebisi Jonas was appointed the envoy to the US, an old video of his surfaced
- The video was dated to 2021 after Joe Biden became the president of the United States, and in it he calls Trump a racist homophobe
- South Africans were concerned about the appointment and some believed he would make matters worse
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international relations, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his nine years of experience.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG — An old video of the South African envoy to the United States Mcebisi Jonas has resurfaced, and netizens are worried about it. The video was dated 2021 and in it Jonas makes negative remarks against United States president Donald Trump.
What did Mcebisi Jonas say in the video?
X user Modibe Vladimir Modiba postured the video on his @mmodibe10 X account. In the video, Jonas was delivering the 11th Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Annual Lecture in 2021. He said the US underwent a watershed moment when former president Joe Biden was elected the United States president in 2021. He said Biden ran the presidential race against Trump, whom he called a racist homophobe.
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"How we got a situation where a narcissistic right winger took charge of the world's greatest economic and military powerhouse is something we need to ponder over," he said.
Watch the X video below:
When was Mcebisi Jonas appointed?
Jonas, the country's former deputy finance minister from 2014 to 2016, was appointed as the country's envoy to the United States on 14 April 2025 to pave the way in mending relations between South Africa and the United States.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said Jonas will lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships and engage with US government officials and private sector leaders on behalf of south Africa.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know about the SA ambassador to the US
- Ebrahim Rasool was expelled from the United States and declared persona non-grata in March by Secretary of State Marco Rubio over comments he made about the United States and Donald Trump
- The International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola was dismayed when Rasool was expelled from the United States
- The Economic Freedom Fighters slammed the United States president after Rasool was booted from the country
Rasool touched down a few weeks later and defended himself, saying he stood by the words that resulted in his expulsion
South Africans weigh in
Netizens commenting on the video shared their views on Jonas's statements.
UnknownITellYou said:
"I hope Trump calls him out."
Monas Davids said:
"Could Ramaphosa and DIRCO please send an ambassador or special envoy who can start to repair the US-SA relationship? Sending someone who calls Donald Trump a racist and narcissist is not going to work."
Monsieur Gregg said:
"Trump will deal with this one harshly."
African Elixir said:
"And just like that, mission aborted."
Neo Viv said:
"They are going to deny him entry in America."
What you need to know about Mcebisi Jonas
Recently appointed as South Africa’s Special Envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas enters the role with decades of experience in both politics and business. Jonas began his activism at just 14 years old and went on to serve as Deputy Finance Minister from 2014 to 2017. His background also includes significant involvement in the financial and corporate sectors, making him a well-rounded choice for the position.
Before joining the National Government, Jonas held the position of provincial minister for Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism in the Eastern Cape, where he played a key role in shaping the province’s economic policies and development strategies.
Tony Leon and Lindiwe Sisulu touted to replace Ebrahim Rasool as ambassador
In a related article, Briefly News reported that former Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon and former Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu were informally nominated to replace Ebrahim Rasool as the ambassador. This was after Rasool was expelled from the United States.
Helen Zille nominated Leon because of his experience as a diplomat. Lindiwe Sisulu, on the other hand, was the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
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Source: Briefly News
