The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) says US Ambassador to South Africa Brent Bozell has expressed regret over remarks in which he dismissed a South African court ruling on the “Kill the Boer” chant.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed that Bozell had been summoned by the department to explain what the government described as “undiplomatic” comments. The ambassador later clarified that although he personally believes the chant constitutes hate speech, the United States respects the independence and decisions of South Africa’s judiciary.
Bozell made the remarks during a BizNews conference in Hermanus, where he criticised the court’s ruling that the chant does not amount to hate speech under South African law. His comments drew strong reactions from political parties and government officials.
International political analyst Dr Oscar van Heerden noted that it is important to recognise that Bozell currently serves as an ambassador-designate rather than a fully confirmed ambassador.
“It simply means that his full diplomatic credentials have not yet been accepted. He is still awaiting confirmation to full ambassador status and yet, already, like a true Trump disciple, he has become the disruptor,” said van Heerden.
Van Heerden added that Bozell is not a career diplomat and was personally selected for the role.
“He is not a trained professional career diplomat at all, but he’s Trump’s choice,” he said. “When he appeared before the Senate Select Committee for confirmation, he made it very clear that he was coming to South Africa with very specific objectives.”
According to van Heerden, these objectives include urging South Africa to distance itself from countries such as Iran, Russia, and China, as well as raising concerns about local policies.
“He spoke about changing domestic laws around BBBEE, discouraging South Africa from pursuing the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and addressing issues around land expropriation and the chant that is now making headlines,” van Heerden explained.
He added that Bozell’s early comments suggest he intends to pursue this agenda without delay.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: X/ @DIRCO_ZA
