South Africa has issued a diplomatic protest to the new US ambassador to Pretoria over his recent criticism of the government, ratcheting up tensions between the two countries.
“We reiterate that broad-based black economic empowerment is not reverse racism, as regrettably insinuated by the ambassador,” Lamola said.
ADVERTISEMENT
CONTINUE READING BELOW
“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.”
Dirco Director-General Zane Dangor said Bozell later expressed regret over his public comments and reaffirmed his commitment to a constructive engagement.
US Embassy spokesman Rubani Trimiew didn’t answer calls or respond to request for comment sent by text message.
‘Trump running out of patience’
Bozell, 70, was a controversial choice for ambassador, having opposed efforts by the ANC – the biggest political party in the coalition government led by President Cyril Ramaphosa – to overturn apartheid in the 1980s.
The ambassador warned on Tuesday that Trump is running out of patience with Pretoria over its failure to address Washington’s demands for changes to its domestic and foreign policies, Johannesburg-based news website Timeslive reported.
He also criticised a Constitutional Court ruling last year that found the anti-apartheid Kill the Boer chant isn’t hate speech, and was quoted as saying: “I’m sorry, I don’t care what your courts say. It’s hate speech.”
Bozell on Wednesday issued a brief statement on X clarifying that while it is his personal view that the chant is hate speech “the US government respects the independence and findings of South Africa’s judiciary”.
ADVERTISEMENT:
CONTINUE READING BELOW
South Africa ‘will not be dictated to’ – Mbalula
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula responded to Bozell’s comments on X, saying: “South Africa’s international relations policy will not be dictated to by anyone else but South Africans and their government.”
This is the second time South Africa has demarched a US envoy.
Three years ago, the authorities summoned Bozell’s predecessor, Reuben Brigety, after he publicly accused Pretoria of supplying weapons to Russia.
Read:
US ambassador to South Africa Brigety says he will resign
South Africa investigates how it made a part for Russian drones
The US is South Africa’s second-biggest trade partner after China.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
#issues #formal #protest #ambassador