The US ambassador to South Africa, L. Brent Bozell III, has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of refusing to condemn a chant that calls for the killing of farmers, saying the country is drifting away from its traditional non-aligned stance and moving closer to American adversaries such as Iran, Russia, China, and Cuba.
In an exclusive interview, Bozell said he was summoned to South Africa's foreign ministry this past week and criticized for what Pretoria called undiplomatic conduct. It was the third diplomatic rebuke he has received in the nine months since arriving in Johannesburg. The ambassador has been repeatedly criticized by South African officials for relaying President Donald Trump's condemnation of the country's policies and statements.
At the center of the dispute is the slogan «Kill the Boer! Kill the farmer!» Bozell said Ramaphosa has claimed he cannot stop people from chanting it because the country's supreme court cleared its use. «You've got a president of South Africa who refuses to condemn an incitement to kill,» Bozell said. «Ask 100% of the world if 'kill the farmer, kill the Boer' isn't hate speech. If that isn't hate speech, I don't know what hate speech is: inciting people to commit murder.»
The ambassador rejected the court argument, saying a president can disagree with a court ruling. «In the United States, the president can disagree with the court and does about every five minutes because that's what you do in a democracy when you disagree with something,» he said. «If President Ramaphosa, if he wants to, he can do it. It's just as simple as that.» He added, «How hard is it to say this chant, where 50,000 people in the stadium jump up and down, pantomiming guns, shooting people, how hard is it to say, stop it?»
Bozell said three of the five specific requests the Trump administration has made to South Africa have been ignored. Among them are demands related to alleged race-based discrimination, allegations of murder and torture of farmers, plans for uncompensated land seizures, and incitement of violence against minority groups. «Those were three strikes and you're out as far as we were concerned,» he said.
The ambassador also warned that South Africa is systematically leaving the non-alignment space and moving closer to US adversaries. He pointed to the ruling African National Congress hosting the terror group Hamas, and questioned Pretoria's continued ties with Cuba, Iran, and Russia. «There are people who are living in the glory days of the Soviet Union, and they want to go back to the good old days of communism,» he said. «Why are they still working with Cuba? Why are they working with Iran and Hamas terror organizations? What's Russia doing for them? What's China doing for them?»
Bozell said Washington wants South Africa to return to its traditional position of non-alignment with both sides. «What we're saying is simply do what you've always done. Have a non-aligned with both sides. We'll live with that,» he said.
On economic cooperation, Bozell stressed that the US wants to expand business with South Africa in mining, particularly critical and rare earth minerals. He contrasted American investment with Chinese practices, saying, «We're not going to do what the Chinese do. They come in, they take the ore, they take it to China, they benefit from it and they make a pile of money. We're saying to South Africa, we'll come in, we'll do the mining, we'll do it right there in South Africa.» He added that South Africa would get the money and the technology, creating jobs. «We could create more and more and more at a time when they desperately need it, but it will be good for us as well. This is the partnership we want.»
However, Bozell identified a major obstacle: South African regulations requiring that 30% of foreign company ownership be given to black local entrepreneurs in sectors such as telecommunications and mining. He said this requirement is problematic for US companies, including Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet venture, which wants to enter the South African market. The ambassador's remarks underscore the deepening friction between Washington and Pretoria over race, land, and foreign policy, even as the US seeks stronger commercial ties.