'Nefarious' characters work to discredit SA, claims Jonas

Mcebisi Jonas has warned that figures lurking in the background are on a campaign to discredit South Africa.

- Jarryd Westerdale

President Cyril Ramaphosa's special envoy to the United States did not name the "nefarious" persons allegedly working against the state, but said they were well-connected individuals.

Jonas is also chair of the MTN Group, which this week confirmed that the US department of justice had contacted its legal counsel in the US regarding its operations in Iran and Afghanistan.

Much of the negativity aimed at South Africa has come from the US in the form of trade tariffs and claims of violence and discrimination against the white population.

Jonas' special envoy status was questioned in July, when the DA claimed he was denied entry into the US, something the Presidency labelled "sensationalism".

The fallout between the DA and the Presidency led to the resignation of the DA's spokesperson on international relations, Emma Powell.