US Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, has expressed disappointment in the state of US-South Africa relations. In an interview with 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa, Bozell stated that he was initially optimistic about the relations improving, but now admits he was wrong. Bozell mentioned that he had personally been telling officials in Washington to expect a breakthrough after the US put forward five 'reasonable' requests to the South African government.
Bozell criticised International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola for making remarks in Washington that were critical of US President Donald Trump's Afrikaner resettlement programme. Lamola accused the US of applying a race-based approach. Bozell described Lamola's comments as 'disappointing' and stated that they contributed to the current tensions between the two countries.
Bozell has been in South Africa for six months and has been impressed with the South African people, but not so much with the government. He mentioned that there are those in the government who have been reasonable and helpful in discussions, but others like Foreign Minister Lamola who have not. Bozell did not elaborate on who the reasonable government officials were.
The US ambassador was repeatedly asked whether he believed Afrikaners were facing genocide in South Africa, but he refused to answer directly. When pressed for a yes or no answer, Bozell stated that he was not going to go where Bingwa wanted him to and that his focus was on the five requests made to the South African government.
The South African government has rejected claims that Afrikaners are being persecuted, after US President Donald Trump claimed that 'bad things' are happening in the country, including land grabs and the indiscriminate killings of white South Africans. Bozell declined to confirm Trump's narrative on 'white genocide'.
Bozell submitted his letters of credence to President Cyril Ramaphosa on 8 April 2026, as one of 20 ambassadors. He mentioned that he had been telling officials in Washington to expect a breakthrough in US-South Africa relations, but it appears that the opposite has happened.
The strained diplomatic relations between the US and South Africa have sparked concerns about the impact on trade and cooperation between the two countries. Bozell stated that he would continue to focus on the five requests made to the South African government, which apparently do not include the issue of genocide.
Key points
- US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III refuses to confirm Afrikaner genocide claims
- Bozell criticises Minister Ronald Lamola for making remarks critical of US President Donald Trump's Afrikaner resettlement programme
- The strained diplomatic relations between the US and South Africa have sparked concerns about trade and cooperation.
