Presidency condemns DA's ‘latest effort to embarrass' special envoy Mcebisi Jonas
The Presidency has hit back at the Democratic Alliance (DA) for what it calls 'disinformation' and 'harassment' targeting President Ramaphosa's special envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas.
'The Democratic Alliance's latest effort to embarrass President Ramaphosa's Special Envoy to North America, Mr Jonas Mcebisi, involves claims — in the DA's framing — that the United States has rejected Mr Jonas's 'credentials' and that Mr Jonas is therefore unable to perform his role as special envoy.
'The DA seeks to add sensationalism to its claim by suggesting President Ramaphosa and Mr Jonas face a crisis in view of the United States' pending implementation of trade tariffs announced several days ago by President Donald Trump.
'The facts around this matter include the reality that special envoys do not present diplomatic credentials to host countries in the way designated heads of mission or other diplomats are,' said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya in a statement on Tuesday, 15 July.
Magwenya's statement comes after the DA claimed Ramaphosa had for months been concealing the fact that his special envoy to the United States 'is not welcome in Washington'.
Emma Powell, the DA spokesperson on international relations and cooperation, claimed in a statement on Tuesday that the US had denied Jonas a diplomatic visa in May.
She said the Presidency 'continued to mislead the public by insisting that Jonas remained the president's special envoy' to the US.
Powell said these facts were coming to light with just two weeks to go before devastating 30% trade tariffs on SA exports to the US were to take effect, a result which Jonas was supposed to help prevent. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has rejected her claim and accused her of working against SA's interests.
'The US government has formally rejected Jonas' credentials and has informed the Presidency that he would not be recognised as South Africa's official interlocutor. The Ramaphosa administration was explicitly advised on multiple occasions that Jonas was not acceptable to Washington and was urged to appoint an alternative envoy,' said Powell.
'This week, when confronted with the DA's announcement that it would submit a Promotion of Access to Information (PAIA) request detailing Jonas' official engagements over the past 90 days, instead of coming clean with the truth … Magwenya lashed out on social media, accusing the DA of 'encroaching' on the President's powers,' she added.
Powell called on the Presidency to explain why it continued to back Jonas as SA's envoy when his 'credentials have been officially rejected by the host government'.
Powell said that following the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool as SA's ambassador to the US, Ramaphosa was more concerned about 'saving face than safeguarding livelihoods'. She said the DA would ask Parliament to request an urgent briefing from the Presidency on Jonas' appointment.
Daily Maverick approached Jonas and his spokesperson, Ranjeni Munusamy, for comment, but Munusamy referred us to the Presidency.
'Right-wing nexus'
In a statement on Monday, Powell said that more than 90 days after his appointment as Ramaphosa's special envoy to the US, Jonas was 'nowhere to be seen'.
She noted that Jonas' appointment came on the back of the expulsion of Rasool, 'and was billed as a critical intervention to stave off the impending collapse of vital export industries under punitive liberation day tariffs.
'With just over two weeks to go before the 30% tariffs come into effect on 1 August, industries that support hundreds of thousands of jobs — from citrus to automotives — remain on a knife's edge,' said Powell.
Magwenya said that Jonas' role did not 'supersede the leading role' of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and Dirco in SA's 'difficult but constructive' trade negotiations with the US.
'Mr Jonas has, however, played an important role in working with the DTIC to develop the trade proposals in which South Africa is currently engaging the United States in good faith and with the expectation of mutually beneficial terms.
'Similarly, he has been assisting Dirco in government's efforts to reset diplomatic relations and all areas of cooperation between South Africa and the United States,' said Magwenya.
He said that while these processes were underway, Ramaphosa had not required Jonas to visit the US on urgent business.
'The Presidency is therefore concerned about the Democratic Alliance's persistent campaign against South Africa's national interest and its posture of trying to embarrass and belittle our country, and in this specific circumstance, Mr Jonas. This campaign has its origins in a Democratic Alliance visit to the United States earlier this year, to advance an ideological agenda rather than our national interest,' he said.
'The DA has positioned itself as part of a right-wing nexus that seeks to use a foreign state to effect changes to democratically developed national policies in our own country.
'The DA is trying cheaply but dangerously to exploit a critical engagement between South Africa and the United States to protest President Ramaphosa's removal of Mr Andrew Whitfield as deputy minister of trade, industry and competition.'
Last week, Trump sent Ramaphosa a letter confirming that the US would impose a 30% tariff on all imports of South African goods from 1 August — 'separate from all sectoral tariffs'.
He originally announced the 'reciprocal' tariffs on SA and almost all other countries in April and said the new tariffs would kick in after 90 days, on 9 July.
This was supposed to give countries time to lower their tariffs on US imports. But although the DTIC said it had presented a draft Framework Deal to the US on 20 May, and requested an extension of the 90-day pause for further negotiation, Trump confirmed the 30% tariffs last week.
He again said that if SA eliminated its trade barriers, the US would 'consider' adjusting the 30% tariffs. DM
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