Bozell: Billions in Investment at risk as SA-US rift deepens
· Citizen
Billions in American investment. Thousands of potential jobs. US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III says South Africa’s policies are standing in the way.
Bozell says the United States is ready to invest, but Pretoria must decide whether it wants to remove the barriers or watch opportunities slip away.
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The ambassador’s latest remarks mark a fresh escalation in increasingly strained relations between Washington and Pretoria.
Ramaphosa failing
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Bozell accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of failing to condemn the controversial “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” chant, describing it as an incitement to violence.
He also criticised South Africa’s race-based ownership requirements and warned that the country is moving closer to US adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran.
“You’ve got a president of South Africa who refuses to condemn an incitement to kill,” Bozell said.
Visa restrictions
The comments come weeks after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals accused of involvement in race-based discrimination and uncompensated land seizures in South Africa.
Relations deteriorated further after South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a diplomatic rebuke, or démarche, against Bozell, the third such action since his arrival in the country.
South African officials accused the ambassador of “undiplomatic conduct”, while insisting both countries remain committed to resolving outstanding issues.
Economic prospects
Bozell argues that South Africa is undermining its own economic prospects.
He said billions of dollars in potential American investment, particularly in mining and telecommunications, remain on hold because of policies requiring foreign companies to cede ownership stakes to local partners.
“There are literally billions of dollars from American firms and American government investments ready to go into mining,” Bozell said, arguing that race-based requirements are discouraging investment.
Washington concerned
The ambassador also warned that Washington is increasingly concerned by what it sees as South Africa’s shift away from non-alignment and towards closer relationships with countries and groups viewed by the US as strategic adversaries.
The South African government has always stressed sovereignty and the freedom to choose policies it believes best benefit all citizens.
He said President Donald Trump believes Pretoria has been “systematically leaving the non-alignment space and moving closer and closer to our adversaries”.
US-SA partnership
Despite the growing tensions, Bozell maintained that Washington wants to preserve its partnership with South Africa.
“We want this partnership. We want to figure this out. It’s good for South Africa. It’s good for the United States of America,” he said.