DA bombshell: Jonas blocked by US — Presidency calls it lies

Mcebisi Jonas

Pretoria – A war of words has broken out between the DA and the Presidency over allegations that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Special Envoy to the US, Mcebisi Jonas, was denied recognition by the United States government.

This comes just two weeks before significant US tariffs are set to take effect on South African exports.

In a statement on Tuesday, DA spokesperson on international relations Emma Louise Powell accused Ramaphosa of knowingly misleading the public and clinging to an appointment that the US had allegedly rejected months ago.

Powell claimed that Jonas was denied a diplomatic visa in May and that the US government explicitly informed the Presidency that he would not be accepted as South Africa’s interlocutor in Washington.

“The Ramaphosa administration was explicitly advised on multiple occasions that Jonas was not acceptable to Washington and was urged to appoint an alternative envoy,” Powell charged.

“Despite these clear and repeated communications, the Presidency continued to mislead the public.”

The DA further revealed it would file a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request to uncover details of Jonas’s official engagements over the past 90 days.

Powell also criticised Ramaphosa for defending Jonas during a televised SABC interview in June, despite allegedly knowing he had been denied a visa.

“This week, when confronted with the DA’s announcement, instead of coming clean with the truth, the President’s spokesperson lashed out on social media,” Powell said.

“It is clear that the President is more concerned with saving face than saving jobs.”

The accusation drew a swift and scathing response from the Presidency, which dismissed the DA’s claims as “sensationalist disinformation.”

In a strongly worded statement issued later on Tuesday, the Presidency said special envoys do not require diplomatic credentials or visas in the same manner as ambassadors, and accused the DA of misrepresenting international norms to “embarrass and belittle” both Jonas and South Africa.

“Mr Jonas has played an important role in developing trade proposals and in assisting government efforts to reset diplomatic relations with the United States,” the Presidency said.

“There has been no urgent need for him to travel to Washington as the President himself remains actively engaged.”

The Presidency also blasted the DA for attempting to use international diplomatic tensions to score political points following Ramaphosa’s removal of DA MP Andrew Whitfield as Deputy Minister of Trade.

“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,” the statement said.

With the looming implementation of 30% US tariffs on South African goods, dubbed “liberation day tariffs” by the DA, the diplomatic standoff now carries potentially serious consequences for the South African economy.

The DA said it will demand an urgent parliamentary briefing and push for Jonas’s replacement with a “credible envoy” capable of restoring trust and reopening direct channels with the Biden administration.

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