Mcebisi Jonas: Meet Ramaphosa’s newly appointed special envoy to the US
An overview of Mcebisi Jonas, South Africa’s newly appointed special envoy to the United States, and his previous remarks on Donald Trump.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has named Mcebisi Jonas as South Africa’s special envoy to the United States.
The 14 April appointment puts the spotlight on Jonas, a seasoned figure in both politics and business, whose past remarks on US President Donald Trump have been anything but diplomatic. Here’s what to know about his career and candid views.
Jonas accepts the ‘challenging’ role
In a statement, Jonas thanked Ramaphosa for “entrusting” him with the “important but challenging” role.
“I will do my best to promote a healthy working relationship between South Africa and the United States,” he said.
Tensions between South Africa and the United States have escalated significantly during Donald Trump’s presidency. With former US ambassador Ebrahim Rasool no longer in the post and Trump suggesting he may skip the G20 Heads of State summit in Johannesburg later this year, diplomatic ties are strained. Mcebisi Jonas steps into his new role as special envoy at a time when key negotiations – including on trade tariffs – are looming.
“I am fully cognisant of the difficulties that lie ahead, considering recent global developments,” said Jonas.
“However, I believe that areas of commonality and mutual interest could be embraced to reaffirm the long-standing ties between our two countries.”
Mcebisi Jonas as deputy minister, whistleblower and businessman
Jonas rose to national attention between May 2014 and March 2017 while serving as South Africa’s deputy finance minister under then-president Jacob Zuma. He was dismissed in 2017 alongside former finance minister Pravin Gordhan.
During that period, Jonas stood out as one of the first high-profile whistleblowers on State Capture. In 2016, he made headlines by revealing that the Gupta family had approached him with an offer to become finance minister on condition that he support their efforts to gain control over state resources.
Jonas went on to detail the occurrence when he testified before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in 2018. He alleged that the Gupta brothers offered him a R600 million bribe to get him to accept the finance minister role and threatened to kill him if he reported the incident.
In 2018, Ramaphosa appointed him as one of four presidential investment envoys tasked with facilitating investment into South Africa. Jonas currently serves as independent non-executive chairman of the MTN Group and will continue in that role.
‘Racist’ and ‘homophobe’: Jonas’ previous criticism of Trump
Although Jonas has committed himself to his new role, he has previously strongly criticised US President Donald Trump.
In 2020, at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s annual lecture, Jonas reflected on the American presidential election taking place at the time.
“Right now, the US is undergoing a watershed moment with Biden the certain winner in the presidential race against the racist, homophobe Donald Trump,” Jonas said in the address.
He continued: “How we got to a situation where a narcissistic right-winger took charge of the world’s greatest economic and military powerhouse, is something that we need to ponder over. It is something that all democracies need to ponder over.”
These remarks may raise questions around Jonas’ suitability for the special envoy role. International relations experts previously criticised then-ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, for publicly describing Trump’s administration as “supremacist” and those remarks got Rasool expelled as a diplomat.
Jonas’ appointment as special envoy is with immediate effect, while Ramaphosa still considers who to appoint as ambassador to the United States.
Mcebisi Jonas’ qualifications and background
Mcebisi Jonas has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology and a Higher Diploma in Education.
According to his biography on the South African Government website, Jonas has also completed several courses in marketing, trade and investment from the University of Cape Town and various foreign development agencies. Jonas is also the author of After Dawn: Hope after State Capture.
Jonas was active in the anti-Apartheid struggle, serving in both the United Democratic Front and Umkhonto weSizwe. As per his government biography, he remains a member of the African National Congress.