SA's New US Envoy Plays Down Past Criticism

South Africa's new envoy to the US glossed over remarks he made in the past about President Donald Trump and said relations between Pretoria and Washington are vital to the national interest.

- Bloomberg

"It's crucial," former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas told 702 radio on Tuesday. "The US relationship with South Africa is fundamentally important for the national agenda for South Africa."

President Cyril Ramaphosa named Jonas to the post on Monday in an effort to mend fraying ties with Washington.

Trump froze aid to the country over objections to its genocide case against Israel and allegations of land seizure at the expense of White farmers. SA hasn't confiscated any land since the end of apartheid in 1994.