<\/p>\n
South Africa has issued a diplomatic protest to the new US ambassador to Pretoria over his recent criticism of the government, ratcheting up tensions between the two countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reiterate that broad-based black economic empowerment is not reverse racism, as regrettably insinuated by the ambassador,\u201d Lamola said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt is a fundamental instrument designed to address the structural imbalances of South Africa\u2019s unique history. As we cannot tell President Trump how to deal with localisation in the US, he also can\u2019t tell us how to deal with our domestic issues of sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dirco Director-General Zane Dangor said Bozell later expressed regret over his public comments and reaffirmed his commitment to a constructive engagement.<\/p>\n
US Embassy spokesman Rubani Trimiew didn\u2019t answer calls or respond to request for comment sent by text message.<\/p>\n
\u2018Trump running out of patience\u2019<\/p>\n
Bozell, 70, was a controversial choice for ambassador, having\u00a0opposed\u00a0efforts by the ANC \u2013 the biggest political party in the coalition government led by President Cyril Ramaphosa \u2013 to overturn apartheid in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
The ambassador warned on Tuesday that Trump is running out of patience with Pretoria over its failure to address Washington\u2019s demands for changes to its domestic and foreign policies, Johannesburg-based news website\u00a0Timeslive\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n
He also criticised a Constitutional Court ruling last year that found the anti-apartheid\u00a0Kill the Boer\u00a0chant isn\u2019t hate speech, and was quoted as saying: \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t care what your courts say. It\u2019s hate speech.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bozell on Wednesday issued a brief\u00a0statement\u00a0on X clarifying that while it is his personal view that the chant is hate speech \u201cthe US government respects the independence and findings of South Africa\u2019s judiciary\u201d.<\/p>\n
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South Africa \u2018will not be dictated to\u2019 \u2013 Mbalula\u00a0<\/p>\n
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula responded to Bozell\u2019s comments on X, saying: \u201cSouth Africa\u2019s international relations policy will not be dictated to by anyone else but South Africans and their government.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is the second time South Africa has demarched a US envoy.<\/p>\n
Three years ago, the authorities summoned Bozell\u2019s predecessor, Reuben Brigety, after he publicly accused Pretoria of supplying weapons to Russia.<\/p>\n
Read:
US ambassador to South Africa Brigety says he will resign
South Africa investigates how it made a part for Russian drones<\/p>\n
The US is South Africa\u2019s second-biggest trade partner after China.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a02026\u00a0Bloomberg L.P.<\/p>\n
#issues #formal #protest #ambassador<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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