Cyril Ramaphosa Searching For Ebrahim Rasool’s Replacement, Identifies 4 Afrikaners for the Position

• President Cyril Ramaphosa is still looking for a replacement for Ebrahim Rasool as the Ambassador to the United States
• The president has identified four Afrikaners who could fill the vacant post and help ease tensions between the nations
• Rasool was expelled from the USA after he made comments about President Donald Trump's leadership

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent ten years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has left social media divided with his latest plan to replace Ebrahim Rasool.

According to the Sunday Times, Ramaphosa is reportedly considering hiring an Afrikaans person as the new Ambassador to the United States.

The President is looking to hire another ambassador after Rasool was expelled from the USA on 14 March 2025 over statements he made about Donald Trump. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described him as a race-baiting politician who wasn't welcome in the USA anymore.

Ramaphosa shortlists 4 Afrikaners for position

With Trump showing sympathy for Afrikaans nationals in the country, Ramaphosa is reportedly considering hiring an Afrikaner to fill the vacant post.

Trump has expressed concern for the welfare of Afrikaners in South Africa, even offering them refuge in America.

With tensions between the two countries still high, Ramaphosa and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola are considering hiring a senior Afrikaans political figure as Rasool’s replacement.

Who are the 4 candidates?

Roelf Meyer

One of the candidates is Meyer, a former Defence Minister in the final years of Apartheid and Chief National Party negotiator at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA). His friendship with Ramaphosa played a key role in the country’s transition to democracy. Meyer also co-founded the United Democratic Movement (UDM), one of the Government of National Unity's members.

Marthinus van Schalkwyk

Van Schalkwyk is another person with ties to the country’s past and present. Van Schalkwyk was the final National Party leader before it eventually became what is now known as the Democratic Alliance. He later joined the African National Congress and was appointed as the Minister of Tourism. Van Schalkwyk also has ambassadorial experience, having served as the ambassador to Australia.

Andries Nel

The Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development is another person on the shortlist. Nel is an ANC member who was a human rights lawyer during apartheid.

Nel has plenty of experience, having been a mainstay of government since 1994. After leaving frontline politics in 2019, he returned to Parliament following the May 2024 elections when Ramaphosa named him the new Deputy Minister of Justice, a position he once held before.

Gerhardus Koornhof

Koornhof currently serves as the Parliamentary Counsellor to President Ramaphosa, having served him since he was deputy president. Koornhof has been a Member of Parliament since 1994 and is the son of the late National Party Minister, Piet Koornhof. He is currently a member of the African National Congress.

What you need to know about Ebrahim Rasool

Ebrahim Rasool is a South African diplomat and ANC politician known for his long-standing role in national and provincial leadership. He served as the Western Cape’s fifth Premier between 2004 and 2008, held a brief stint in Parliament from 2009 to 2010, and was appointed South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States twice, first from 2010 to 2015, and again in 2025.

His second diplomatic term ended abruptly on 14 March 2025, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled him from the country. The move came after Rasool publicly criticised the Trump administration, prompting Washington to declare him persona non grata.

The fallout followed Rasool’s remarks in which he accused then-President Donald Trump and his allies, including South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, of promoting white supremacy.

Rasool defends his comments about the USA

Briefly News reported that Rasool spoke out about what happened in the United States of America when he was expelled.

Rasool stood by the comments he made, which led to his expulsion, saying he was providing an analysis of the US's political condition.

Rasool addressed the media after his return to South Africa, following his expulsion from America.

Source: Briefly News