What happened
US Ambassador to South Africa L. Brent Bozell has criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa for not condemning a hate chant that incites violence against minority groups. The chant, "Kill the Boer! Kill the farmer!", has been a point of contention between the US and South Africa, with the US pushing for Ramaphosa to condemn it. Bozell stated that the president's refusal to condemn the chant is a sign that the country is drifting towards US foes like Iran, Russia, and China.
The ambassador's comments come after he was summoned to South Africa's foreign ministry for the third time in nine months, where he was criticized for "undiplomatic conduct". Bozell has been a strong advocate for President Donald Trump's policies, including his condemnation of South African policies and statements. The US has imposed new visa restrictions on South Africa over alleged racial discrimination and land seizures.
Bozell emphasized that the US wants to have a dynamic business relationship with South Africa, particularly in the mining sector, but that the country's race-based policies are a major obstacle. He noted that US companies, including Elon Musk's Starlink, are interested in investing in South Africa, but are being deterred by the government's insistence that 30% of foreign company ownership must be given to Black local entrepreneurs.
The situation has led to increased tensions between the US and South Africa, with the US State Department stating that it is not interested in "diplomatic maneuvering" and that the ball is in South Africa's court to outline the relationship it wants with the US. Despite this, Bozell remains optimistic about the future of the US-South Africa relationship, saying that "temperatures need to go down, and we got to figure it out".
