Relations between Pretoria and Washington have been under stress since Donald Trump entered the White House 2 months ago and indications are they could turn for the worse. On 7 February 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order specifically aimed at South Africa's domestic and international policies. The decision by the US government to declare South Africa's former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool persona non grata  and expel him was the latest spat in a relationship that has become more abrasive. Trump's nomination of Brent Bozell III, a conservative media commentator, as the new US ambassador to South Africa and the City of Johannesburg's push to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive are set to take relations on a rougher ride. President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously slammed the visit by Afrikaner community lobby groups Afriforum and Solidarity to Washington for raising tensions with the Trump administration.  Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Chris Hattingh, Executive Director of the Centre for Risk Analysis who has returned from Washington DC where he was accessing the temperature of US/SA relations