South Africa appointed career diplomat Thabo Thage as its so-called minister plenipotentiary to Washington as it finalises the selection of a permanent ambassador, Business Day reported.

The appointment, made earlier this month, enables Thage to negotiate and sign agreements, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said, citing people it didn’t identify. He’ll also serve as deputy head of mission, a position that will soon become vacant, it said.

The US ambassador to Pretoria, Brent Bozell, will present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa in April, the paper said, without saying how it got the information.

Pretoria hasn’t had an ambassador in the US capital since early 2025, when Ebrahim Rasool was expelled over remarks he made that were critical of US President Donald Trump. Ramaphosa appointed Mcebisi Jonas as special envoy in April, but he didn’t receive a visa to travel to the US.