1. Ebrahim Rasool was born on 15 July 1962 and is a South African politician and diplomat who served as the South African Ambassador to the United States from 2010 to 2015 and again in 2025, as a member of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2010, and as the 5th Premier of the Western Cape from 2004 to 2008.
Ebrahim Rasool is a member of the African National Congress and has held various leadership positions in the party.
On 14 March 2025, while serving as ambassador to the US, Rasool was declared persona non grata by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over his criticism of the Trump administration and expelled him from the United States.
Ebrahim Rasool was born 15 July 1962 in District Six, Cape Town, to a Muslim family of mixed English-Javanese-Dutch-Indian heritage.
Ebrahim Rasool was matriculated from Livingstone High School in Claremont in 1980.
Ebrahim Rasool proceeded to study at the University of Cape Town and was graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1983, and a Higher Diploma in Education in 1984 from the university.
Ebrahim Rasool was employed as a teacher at Spine Road High School in 1985.
Ebrahim Rasool held senior positions in the United Democratic Front and the African National Congress.
Ebrahim Rasool served prison sentences and was frequently placed under house arrest.
Ebrahim Rasool was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Legislature in April 1994 following the country's first democratic election.
Ebrahim Rasool served as the MEC for Health and Social Services from 1994 to 1998.
Ebrahim Rasool was appointed as the MEC for Finance and Economic Development in 2001 and held this position until his appointment as the 5th Premier of the Western Cape in April 2004.
On 14 July 2008, Ebrahim Rasool was recalled from the position of premier by the National Executive Committee of the ANC, as the ANC leadership had disapproved of him giving preference to the large Muslim and Cape Coloured populations in the Western Cape.
Ebrahim Rasool was elected as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, but tendered his resignation to the incoming Speaker.
Ebrahim Rasool had been ranked 75th on the ANC's national party list for the 2024 general election but this was not high enough for him to be returned to the National Assembly given the ANC's decline in electoral support at the election.
On 14 March 2025, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Ebrahim Rasool persona non grata and accused him of being a "race-baiting politician", after Ebrahim Rasool accused President Donald Trump and allies including the South African-born billionaire Elon Musk of promoting white supremacy, in comments to a South African think tank.
In 2010, before taking up his position as ambassador to the United States, an investigation was launched into allegations that Ebrahim Rasool was paying a political reporter in a mainstream newspaper to write articles that portrayed him favourably.