US ambassador Bozell démarched again as Pretoria-Washington tensions escalate

[Daily Maverick] South Africa summoned US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell after his criticism of Pretoria, as Washington repeated demands on land, race policy, farm murders and perceived hate speech. The United States (US) Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III has been issued a démarche again over alleged undiplomatic conduct as tensions between Pretoria and Washington continue to intensify. It was the second démarche against Bozell in recent months In March, Bozell was issued a démarche order over remarks on South Africa’s current policy trajectories.

‘Kill the Boer’ He made special mention of the ‘Kill the Boer’ chant, declaring it hate speech, and saying he “didn’t care” about the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the matter. He later apologised for the comments. Démarche Bozell was hauled before the Department of International Relations (Dirco) this week for a formal dressing‑down over his sharp attacks on Pretoria in recent media interviews.

The démarche, delivered on Tuesday, followed a string of remarks in which Bozell criticised the South African government’s handling of Washington’s demands. A senior Dirco official confirmed Bozell has been démarched and called in to explain what it described as “undiplomatic conduct.” The official said both countries remain committed to resolving outstanding bilateral issues. AfriForum AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel was not happy about the action taken against Bozell.

“A very, very stupid move, Dirco, that goes against the interests of ordinary South Africans. Politicians in South Africa will continue to enrich themselves, while ordinary people will bear the brunt of this move,” he said in a post on X. Visa restrictions Bozell’s comments centred on President Donald Trump’s 27 August message to Cyril Ramaphosa, pressing for updates on how South Africa was addressing five contentious domestic policy issues.

Bozell has repeatedly said in interviews that Ramaphosa failed to respond meaningfully to the five domestic policy demands the Trump administration set for Pretoria. He warned Pretoria that the new visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals accused of involvement in race‑based discrimination, slapped on the country by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are just the beginning to show “America’s firm resolve in this matter.” Five asks Rubio on Tuesday announced new visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals accused of involvement in race‑based discrimination and uncompensated land seizures in South Africa. He said the order was followed by months of dialogue throughout 2025, culminating in December with five specifi…