The EFF’s Godrich Gardee has ridiculed Mcebisi Jonas’s appointment as special envoy to the United States, urging Ramaphosa to rethink the posting.
Image: File picture: Nhlanhla Phillips/African News Agency(ANA).
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Godrich Gardee has opposed the appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as South Africa’s special envoy to the United States, saying President Cyril Ramaphosa should have appointed a pastor or an ordinary citizen instead.
“Well, it's unfortunate. We've got nothing to support or even not to support," Gardee said, adding that Ramaphosa failed to properly vet Jonas before announcing his appointment.
"Mcebisi Jonas is what he is, and President Cyril Ramaphosa must just do his homework.”
Gardee was speaking to SABC News on the sidelines of the Good Friday Mass at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Orlando, Gauteng, on Friday.
“He should have done some vetting around whomever he’s appointing.”
Ramaphosa announced Jonas’s appointment on Monday, stating that he would represent the president and the South African government in diplomatic and trade matters, and foster partnerships with US government officials and private-sector leaders.
However, Jonas’s appointment has sparked opposition from political parties and lobby groups.
Gardee said the appointment could create contradictions, pointing out Jonas’s role as chairperson of MTN, which has business interests in Iran, a country often at odds with the US.
"It's up to President Cyril Ramaphosa to continue to embarrass himself,” Gardee said.
"For the fact that Jonas is the chairperson of MTN, it will have a dent on the appointment because of what could be called a contradiction or what we can call the economic relationship between MTN and Iran, which is an arch-enemy of the USA.”
He added that Jonas's previous comments about former US president Donald Trump would also attract scrutiny.
The controversy stems from remarks made by Jonas in 2020, when he referred to Trump as "a racist, homophobic and narcissistic right-winger”.
Gardee argued that Ramaphosa should have appointed someone else.
“I think they'd rather go look for a pastor or an ordinary person on the streets to go to the USA. Otherwise, anyone they try to take to the USA will not fit into that administration of Trump,” he said.
When asked whom he believed should have been appointed, Gardee said: “No comment.”
IOL News previously reported that the South African Presidency defended Jonas’s appointment, saying his remarks about Trump were made before he held any official position and should be viewed in that context.
“We believe that Mr Jonas will be able to undertake this task. The comments he made were made in his capacity as a private citizen,” Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.
“At that time, he was not an ambassador or an envoy, and did not represent the South African government. Those remarks should be viewed in that context,” Magwenya said.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
