A United States foreign policy expert has warned that Mcebisi Jonas could face the same treatment that former South Africa’s Ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rassol, was subjected to as a result of his previous comments on US President Donald Trump.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday announced the appointment of Jonas as the Special Envoy to the US, serving as the official representative of the President and the Government of South Africa.

Jonas served as one of four Presidential Investment Envoys that Ramaphosa appointed in 2018 to facilitate investment into South Africa.

Ramaphosa said in this capacity, Jonas is entrusted with the responsibility to advance South Africa's diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities.

He will lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships and engage with U.S. government officials and private-sector leaders to promote our nation’s interests.

“This appointment underscores his distinguished career and continued commitment to advancing South Africa’s national and economic interests,” Ramaphosa said.

“For decades, South Africa and the United States of America have maintained a historical and strategic relationship. In the interest of our country, our region and the rest of our continent, I remain committed to rebuilding and maintaining this relationship for more decades on the basis of mutual respect, recognition of each other’s sovereignty and benefit for our respective peoples.”

As a former deputy finance minister, Jonas brings extensive governmental experience to his new diplomatic role. Concurrently, he holds the position of independent non-executive chairman of the MTN Group, a role he will maintain alongside his responsibilities as the Presidential Special Envoy.

Michael Walsh, a senior fellow at a US think-tank the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the choice of Jonas as South Africa’s Envoy to the US carried serious risks for Ramaphosa, the African National Congress, and the South African economy.

Speaking to Business Report, Walsh said there were two major issues that were currently driving the breakdown in the bilateral relationship between South Africa and the United States, one being State sanctioned racism and the other being foreign policy misalignment.

“The appointment of Mr Mcebisi Jonas could be a double-edged sword for US-South Africa relations. On the one hand, Mr. Jonas is a well-known proponent of democratic institutions and critic of state capture and foreign influence,” Walsh said.

“On the other hand, Mr. Jonas referred to President Donald Trump as "a racial, homophobe" and a "narcissistic, right-winger" who "took charge of the world's greatest economic and military powerhouse."

“Given these pointed remarks, one should expect critics to point to his selection as further evidence that the Ramaphosa Administration is committed to pursuing confrontation over reconciliation with the Trump Administration.”

Speaking to SABC TV, Dr Stavros Nicolaou, a member of the South Africa BRICS Business Council who is responsible for the trade portfolio, said Jonas’ appointment was “a very good development” since the US was South Africa’s second biggest trading partner and second biggest investor in South Africa.

“The other thing that's important is you've got a political perspective and you've got a trade perspective, and the two are intertwined. So you need someone that is sufficiently skilled, both on the political side and on the business side, to try and get this intertwining framed correctly, so that we do present an attractive proposition to the United States,” Nicolaou said.

“Jonas is a very good candidate. He understands politics. He's been in business. He's been the chairman of listed companies. So I think he's an excellent choice from that perspective.”

BUSINESS REPORT