US can't dictate to SA who its allies should be

CAPE TOWN - Expelled ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, said that America can not dictate to South Africa who its allies should be.

Returning to a hero’s welcome in Cape Town on Sunday after being given just a week to leave the US, Rasool said he wished he had returned having secured trade deals for the benefit of the country.

But he said that South Africa could not do so at the expense of Palestinian people who continue to feel the wrath of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

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No regrets for the former ambassador but still Rasool is disappointed it didn’t all go to plan, in particular fulfilling his role of strengthening trade relations with the US as the renewal of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) hangs in the balance.

"We would have preferred to come here to say to you, we’ve won for you AGOA, but we could not win it by withdrawing our case in the International Court of Justice against Israel, because as we stand here, the bombing has continued and the shooting has continued."

Despite the souring of diplomatic relations and the heightened tensions between nations, Rasool harbours no ill feelings towards the US.

"We don’t come here to say that we are anti-American or that we have no need for America, or that we don’t have ties with America."

Rasool said that over the past 50 years, South Africa had always enjoyed strong relations with the people of America, even when relations with the White House and Congress faltered under apartheid.