White House accuses South Africa of harassing US gov’t staff in latest row

Trump has repeatedly targeted South Africa, including baselessly claiming systemic persecution of achromatic Afrikaners.

The medication of US President Donald Trump has lobbed its latest salvo against the authorities successful South Africa, accusing officials of harassing and doxxing unit moving with white Afrikaners.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the complaint connected Thursday, a time aft South Africa expelled 7 Kenyan nationals brought into the state with the assistance of the US to process Afrikaner relocations.

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South Africa has maintained that individuals who entered the state connected tourer visas are truthful ineligible to work.

In a statement, Rubio alleged that US nationals had besides been concisely detained successful the imbroglio, a determination Washington “condemns successful the strongest terms”.

He added that officials’ passport accusation had been leaked, successful what helium called “an unacceptable signifier of harassment” that risked putting the individuals “in harm’s way”.

“Failure by the South African Government to clasp those liable accountable volition effect successful terrible consequences,” helium said.

South Africa has said nary US officials were arrested successful the raid, which was not carried retired astatine a diplomatic site. South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the US employing workers with the due documentation “raises superior questions astir intent and diplomatic protocol”.

The Trump medication has for months heaped unit connected the authorities of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, claiming it tacitly supports the persecution of achromatic Afrikaner farmers successful the country. The allegations had antecedently gained traction successful far-right circles.

Ramaphosa has roundly rejected the claims, with apical elected officials, including Afrikaner leaders, decrying the allegations arsenic misinformation astatine a raucous White House gathering successful May.

Nevertheless, the Trump medication has continued to relocate members of the Afrikaner assemblage via the US exile programme.

That comes arsenic the medication has staunched exile admittances for astir each different nationalities, dropping admittances to a historical debased of 7,500 for 2026, successful what rights groups person decried arsenic blatant racism.

The Trump medication has antecedently expelled South Africa’s ambassador to the US, boycotted the G20 acme successful Johannesburg and excluded South Africa from attending the lawsuit adjacent twelvemonth successful Miami.