Photo: Ariel Seidman South Africa has declared Ariel Seidman, the Chargé d’Affaires at Israel’s embassy in Pretoria, persona non grata, ordering him to leave the country within 72 hours. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said the move follows repeated violations of diplomatic norms that, it argued, challenge South Africa’s sovereignty. In a statement released on Friday, DIRCO said Seidman had engaged in a “series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty.” The department cited the use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa and a failure to notify South African authorities of visits by senior Israeli officials. DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said these actions represented a gross abuse of diplomatic privilege and a fundamental breach of the Vienna Convention. He added that Seidman must leave the Republic within 72 hours and urged Israel to ensure its future diplomatic conduct respects South Africa and international norms. The expulsion has prompted an immediate retaliatory response from Israel, which declared South Africa’s senior diplomat in Tel Aviv persona non grata. The tit-for-tat move has drawn widespread media attention in South Africa and abroad, highlighting escalating tensions between the two countries. DIRCO has stressed that South Africa remains committed to the principles of diplomacy but will act decisively to protect its sovereignty. Post navigation Cheap smokes push legit brands out of township shops NW tops jobless charts despite producing 80% of SA’s platinum
