South Africa has declared Israel’s chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours.
The decision was announced on Friday by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Tel Aviv.
In a statement, Dirco said the move followed what it described as repeated breaches of diplomatic norms.
These include persistent attacks on President Cyril Ramaphosa via social media platforms, which the department said were inappropriate and incompatible with accepted diplomatic conduct.
The department also accused Seidman of deliberately failing to inform South African authorities about alleged visits by senior Israeli officials, a requirement under diplomatic protocol.
Dirco said the cumulative actions left the government with no option but to withdraw diplomatic recognition, underscoring South Africa’s expectation that all foreign envoys respect its laws, leadership and diplomatic procedures.