Jonas’s US mission mired in MTN static?

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas as South Africa’s new special envoy to the United States (US) has stirred speculation about whether he’s the right man to steady the fast-fraying diplomatic relationship.

Announced on Monday, 14 April, the decision comes in the wake of a seismic deterioration in ties between Pretoria and Washington following the expulsion of South Africa’s former ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, just weeks after his arrival in the American capital.

“In this capacity, Mr Jonas is entrusted with the responsibility to advance South Africa’s diplomatic, trade and bilateral priorities. He will lead negotiations, foster strategic partnerships, and engage with US government officials and private-sector leaders to promote our nation’s interests,” said Ramaphosa.

He described him as an “eminent South African leader” who had served as one of four presidential envoys appointed by him to facilitate investment into South Africa.

However, back in 2020, Jonas openly criticised then US President Donald Trump as “a racist homophobe” and a “narcissistic right-winger”. Also, as chairperson of the global MTN Group, which has ties to controversial regions like Iran, Jonas’s appointment could become an albatross around South Africa’s diplomatic neck.

Though Ramaphosa praised Jonas as a “distinguished public servant” with “extensive governmental experience”, there are concerns that his appointment might inflame rather than calm the troubled waters of South Africa’s second-largest trading relationship.

“The essence of the problem is the foreign policy of South Africa and aspects of domestic policy,” said Tony Leon, the founding leader of the Democratic Alliance this week.

“Absent revising these, no special or any other envoy will change the dysfunction in the US-South Africa relations,” he told the SA Jewish Report.

Meanwhile, the post of ambassador remains vacant. Responding to questions in Parliament posed by the Economic Freedom Fighters this week over who the president would appoint, Ramaphosa said he would make an announcement “at the appropriate time”.

While Jonas is seen by many in South Africa as a principled figure, especially for his public stand against state capture, his past remarks about Trump may complicate efforts to rebuild trust with the current US administration.

“In a country where living political heroes within the African National Congress [ANC] are becoming fewer and fewer, I’m sure the bucket wasn’t very deep to find a great candidate who could help bring South Africa back into the good graces of the United States,” said Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Darren Bergman, “This position usually requires a popular political deployee, so it was never going to go to a career diplomat or any other worthy character from outside the party.”

“With the current ANC leadership, it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t said something negative or insulting about the US. We wish him well, and we hope he can help restore sanity in the relationship between the two countries. We also hope he can represent the real South Africa to the US, and educate our government on the strategic and economic importance of not completely isolating ourselves from it.”

Jonas’s role as chairperson of MTN Group has raised eyebrows. MTN maintains a 49% stake in Iran’s second-largest mobile network operator, which could become a diplomatic flashpoint say insiders.

Complainants in a US case against the telecoms company allege that several firms, including MTN Group and certain of its subsidiary companies, violated the US Anti-Terrorism Act by providing material support to known terrorist organisations. It seeks damages on behalf of US military members and civilians killed or wounded in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2017. MTN has denied the allegations.

The MTN Group rejected claims in recent South African media reports suggesting new legal developments in the US case against it, calling the reports inaccurate and requesting a retraction.

The company clarified that the case, filed in 2021, is ongoing but hasn’t progressed beyond the previously disclosed stage. In September 2023, a US court partially denied MTN’s motion to dismiss Anti-Terrorism Act claims, allowing the case to proceed to discovery and potential trial. However, the court dismissed the case against MTN Dubai. MTN emphasised that this doesn’t mean that it has lost the case or been found guilty of any wrongdoing, and it will now have the opportunity to present evidence in its defence. The company maintains that the plaintiffs have sued the wrong party in the wrong jurisdiction.

Jonas’s continued leadership at MTN while also serving as special envoy has renewed debate over potential conflicts of interest.

To some, it makes Jonas an unlikely figure to warm Washington’s icy stance. Some say any association with Iran – even perceived – is going to be problematic in the current US political climate, putting Jonas in a tight diplomatic corner.

That said, Jonas does bring qualities rare in ANC circles: a public record of integrity and moral courage. In 2016, he blew the whistle on the Gupta family’s attempt to bribe him with R600 million and offer him the position of finance minister in exchange for state favour. His testimony before the Zondo Commission solidified his reputation as a key figure in exposing state capture during Jacob Zuma’s presidency.

His principled stance earned him enemies and allies. He was fired by Zuma in March 2017 alongside then-finance minister Pravin Gordhan, and later resigned from Parliament.

Born in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape in 1960, Jonas’s political roots run deep. He became active in anti-apartheid movements at just 14, later organising underground structures and down the line, joining the ANC’s military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe. He trained in Angola and Uganda, later returning to help build United Democratic Front structures in the Eastern Cape.

His rise through the ANC ranks was defined more by quiet resilience than populist rhetoric, some say. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology from Vista University, and a Higher Diploma in Education from Rhodes University. Prior to his political career, he worked as an educator.

But will his integrity be enough to navigate the toxic terrain of US-South Africa diplomacy in 2025?

Jonas’s role as envoy now becomes a key test: will he reflect the ANC’s ideological posture, or will he take the pragmatic, measured approach needed to rescue South Africa’s relationship with Washington?

And if Jonas fails, if his MTN connections or past criticism of Trump provokes yet another diplomatic snub, what next?

Time will tell.