By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South Africa issued a diplomatic protest to the new United States ambassador to Pretoria over his recent criticism of the government and judiciary.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation conveyed the démarche to Leo Brent Bozell III on Wednesday, with International Relations minister Ronald Lamola, confirming the move.
The move comes after Bozell demanded government action on rural safety and condemnation of rhetoric that glorifies hatred, singling out the “Kill The Boer” chant.
However Bozell on Wednesday issued a brief statement, clarified that while his personal view is that the “Kill the Boer” chant constitutes hate speech, the US government respects the independence and findings of South Africa’s judiciary.
He also criticised South Africa for drifting toward U.S. adversaries, specifically citing the sending of condolence letters to Iran and what he described as insulting the U.S. President.
Although not explicitly mentioned, the non-alignment issue is also closely tied to South Africa’s ICJ case accusing Israel of genocide without including charges against Hamas for its 7 October 2023 attack.
Lamola said they welcome active public diplomacy and the strengthening of bilateral ties.
But it is important for such engagements to remain consistent with established diplomatic etiquette and international protocols, the Minister said.
“We have called in the Ambassador of the United States, Ambassador Bozell, to explain his undiplomatic remarks.”
“And in his engagements and visits to various sites in South Africa, including the Apartheid Museum, District 6, and other historical places, in the engagements he acknowledges that given our history, South Africa needs a redress and is willing to work with us constructively in this regard,” Lamola said.
Relations between South Africa and the US have deteriorated sharply since Donald Trump’s return to the White House last year. Trump has falsely accused South Africa of subjecting white farmers to a genocide and seizing their land, denounced its relations with Iran and Hamas, and rejected its black economic-empowerment (BEE) policies.
“We reiterate that broad-based black economic empowerment is not reverse racism, as regrettably insinuated by the ambassador,” Lamola said.
“It is a fundamental instrument designed to address the structural imbalances of South Africa’s unique history. As we cannot tell President Trump how to deal with localisation in the US, he also can’t tell us how to deal with our domestic issues of sovereignty.”
Relations between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated sharply, with Trump cutting U.S. aid, imposing steep tariffs, and publicly accusing South Africa of persecuting its white minority.
South Africa has not had an ambassador in Washington since the Trump administration expelled Ebrahim Rasool in early 2025 after he publicly criticised the U.S. President.