President Ramaphosa will soon appoint a permanent ambassador.
The DA is demanding that a professional diplomat be appointed as South Africa’s ambassador to the US.
The last ambassador South Africa had to the US, Ibrahim Rasool, was declared an undesirable person by the Trump administration earlier this year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told parliament that he would soon appoint a globally minded person with deep knowledge of US politics and markets for the position.
He did not give further details about the candidate.
“This is the type of person we are going to appoint,” Ramaphosa said.
Cadre deployment
DA MP Ryan Smith on Tuesday said Ramaphosa should appoint someone who is not affiliated to a specific political party.
“The DA demands that our country nominate a professional non-political, suitably skilled person to head up South Africa’s foreign mission in Washington DC to urgently resolve trade disputes in order to protect critical South African jobs.
“Washington is no place for cadre deployment and now, more than ever, South Africa needs to approach this diplomatic appointment with the seriousness it requires,” he said.
Incorrect approach to foreign mission appointments
He said the ANC had a history of appointing people to missions around the world for the wrong reasons.
“The ANC has a long history of using South Africa’s foreign service as either a retirement plan for aging party loyalists, or an oversees jaunt for loyal cadres.
“The ANC has not used South Africa’s vast diplomatic footprint to prioritise South Africa’s interests, or advance investment into South Africa,” he said.
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Statement of intent and foreign policy
Smith said all parties in the government of national unity (GNU) should have the ability to contribute to the formulation of the country’s foreign policy.
The ANC and the DA have been at loggerheads on this topic since the formation of the GNU.
“It is also time for the ANC to respect the GNU’s statement of intent when pursuing foreign policy, and the national interest in our new coalition landscape, to reposition South Africa as a nation that seeks to become more prosperous and internationally respected, rather than self-sabotage at the altar of outdated party-political international alliances,” he said.
Resetting relations
South Africa is still trying to reset its relationship with the US since Rasool was expelled.
Washington has also slapped Pretoria with a 30% tariff hike on South African exports.
There is still no clarity about the work that Mcebisi Jonas has been doing since he was appointed special envoy to Washington.
The DA claimed that Jonas had not set foot in the U.S since he was appointed earlier this year.
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