PRETORIA, South Africa: United States Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III has warned of further strain in relations between Washington and Pretoria after visiting AfriForum’s headquarters and observing the organisation’s community safety operations and neighbourhood and farm watch programmes.
Bozell made the remarks on Wednesday, September 23, after his visit to AfriForum, where he said he had seen the organisation’s safety activities firsthand.
“Today I visited AfriForum’s headquarters to see firsthand its community safety operations and neighborhood and farm-watch programs. They are doing a terrific job.”
The ambassador said AfriForum required greater support and claimed that the United States had asked the South African government to make rural crime a priority and provide resources to address the issue.
“But they need help. Our ask was for the South African government to designate rural crime a priority and back up their words with resources.”
According to Bozell, AfriForum had sought assistance from the South African government, while the United States had offered financial support. He said the offer had not been taken up.
“AfriForum asked for support from the South African government – and the United States offered to help financially. This was ignored.”
Bozell then linked the issue to the broader relationship between the United States and South Africa, saying US President Donald Trump had made Washington’s position clear.
“President Trump has been clear, this does not bode well for U.S.-South Africa relations.”
The visit comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria, with the two governments disagreeing over several issues, including rural safety, land policy, economic legislation and South Africa’s foreign policy.
Bozell has previously said Washington wants greater cooperation from the South African government on rural safety. The US ambassador has also described rural crime as one of several issues raised by Washington in its engagements with Pretoria.
AfriForum has separately said it submitted a comprehensive safety proposal to the South African government outlining how its neighbourhood and farm watch structures could operate within the law and cooperate with the South African Police Service, private security companies and other safety stakeholders.
The South African government has maintained that crime affects communities across the country and has pointed to its National Rural Safety Strategy as part of its response to rural crime. The strategy includes engagement with various stakeholders, including interest groups such as AfriForum.
Bozell’s latest comments come as diplomatic relations between South Africa and the United States remain under pressure. Earlier this month, he said Washington’s newly introduced visa restrictions affecting certain South Africans were only the beginning of further measures if the two governments failed to resolve outstanding disagreements.
The ambassador has also recently spoken publicly about other areas of disagreement between the two countries, including land policy, economic participation and the US position on political rhetoric that Washington considers an incitement to violence.
Leave a comment