Tintswalo Baloyi|Published
Calls are mounting for South Africa to declare United States Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III persona non grata, amid growing frustration over what critics describe as repeated interference in the country’s sovereign affairs and a broader pattern of powerful foreign nations challenging Africa’s right to determine its own destiny.
The controversy has reignited a fundamental Pan-African question: how long must African countries tolerate foreign representatives making pronouncements on domestic legislation, judicial decisions and foreign policy without facing meaningful diplomatic consequences?
In an interview with CAJ News Africa on Tuesday evening, African National Congress (ANC) national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri expressed serious concern about Bozell’s public statements, arguing that no foreign diplomat had the authority to dictate how South Africa should govern itself.
“No foreign representative has the authority to dictate to the South African people how their country should be governed,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She warned that the ambassador’s pronouncements raised concerns about diplomatic protocols and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
The ANC’s position reinforces calls for Pretoria to consider whether the ambassador’s conduct is compatible with the responsibilities of diplomatic office.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have also condemned Washington’s actions, accusing the United States of weaponising its diplomatic and economic power to interfere in South Africa’s sovereign affairs.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, responding to the latest US announcement of visa restrictions against unnamed South African officials, the opposition party rejected what it described as Washington’s attempts to punish the country for pursuing an independent foreign policy and implementing policies aimed at redressing the inequalities inherited from colonialism and apartheid.
“The EFF has consistently maintained that South Africa must determine its own domestic and foreign policy without receiving instructions from any other foreign power,” Thambo said in a statement, arguing that the visa restrictions formed part of an escalating campaign to pressure Pretoria into abandoning its transformation agenda.
The party maintained that Washington had no democratic mandate to determine how South Africa addressed the consequences of apartheid, particularly the country's land question.
The EFF further insisted that the government could no longer dismiss the dispute as a mere diplomatic disagreement, warning that South Africa’s sovereignty required a firm response to foreign pressure.
Its position adds to calls for Pretoria to consider declaring Bozell persona non grata and expelling him if his conduct is found to undermine the country’s sovereign right to determine its own domestic and foreign policies.
Critics argue that, where repeated interventions cross established diplomatic boundaries, a strong response is necessary to defend national sovereignty and protect the integrity of democratic institutions.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a receiving state may declare a diplomat persona non grata without having to explain its decision.
South Africa therefore possesses a recognised diplomatic mechanism to respond if its government concludes that an ambassador’s conduct warrants such action.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the decision rested with the government, which must act in the national interest.
She nevertheless made clear that South Africa’s sovereignty could not be compromised to satisfy another country.
She also challenged attempts to use investment as leverage over domestic policymaking, insisting that foreign capital must respect South Africa’s constitutional framework and transformation agenda.
“Investment must not become an instrument of political pressure to compel a sovereign country to abandon its democratically determined policies,” she said.
For many across Africa, the dispute represents a much wider struggle against unequal international relationships in which powerful nations expect access to markets and resources while questioning policies adopted by African governments.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation Chairperson Supra Mahumapelo issued a statement guns blazing calling to total respect of South Africa’s sovereignty.
“The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations requires diplomats to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state and not interfere in its internal affairs. Public commentary that undermines the decisions of our Constitutional Court and questions domestic transformation policies aimed at redressing apartheid inequalities is incompatible with diplomatic norms,” Mahumapelo said.
CAJ News