A US and South African official shake hands during a diplomatic engagement between the two countries, with their national flags displayed in the background amid ongoing discussions over bilateral relations. Photo: Voice of the Cape

NNA News - Diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the United States have intensified after International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola told US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III to leave his post if he no longer believed in dialogue, prompting a public response from the American envoy.

The exchange follows South Africa's third formal diplomatic protest, or démarche, against Bozell since he began his duties in February. Pretoria says the ambassador has engaged in conduct it considers undiplomatic, while Washington has continued to press South Africa over domestic policy, foreign relations and investment conditions.

Lamola said a diplomat could not declare an end to dialogue with the government to which he was accredited. “You can’t have a diplomat who says the time for talking is over. It’s our job to talk. So if you can’t talk as a diplomat and you cannot dialogue ... get out of the kitchen,” Lamola said in an interview with the media.

He also accused Bozell of interfering in South Africa's domestic affairs, saying the ambassador's public interventions were inconsistent with diplomatic practice. “As a diplomat, you cannot interfere in the domestic politics of your host. It’s rule number one of diplomacy,” Lamola said.

Bozell responded on social media, accusing Lamola of personally insulting him and warning that the dispute was contributing to the deterioration of bilateral relations. “So here we go again. Another Minister Lamola personal insult aimed at an American leader (this time me),” Bozell wrote. “And then the South African government wonders why relations are collapsing.” 

The latest dispute follows a démarche issued by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation on 30 September. Parliament's Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation said the protest was the third since Bozell's accreditation and called for respect for South Africa's sovereignty and constitutional institutions.

The substance of the disagreement extends beyond the latest exchange. Washington has criticised South Africa's land policies, race-based economic measures, approach to farm attacks and aspects of its foreign policy. Bozell has also argued that some US companies are being discouraged from investing in South Africa by regulatory requirements.

In an opinion piece published by the US Embassy in September, Bozell argued that the US was increasingly frustrated with Pretoria's policies and said American investment could expand if the two countries resolved their differences.

At the same time, Washington has indicated that it does not intend to end engagement 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. Temperatures need to go down, and we got to figure it out,” Bozell said in a Fox News interview. 

The US State Department has taken a harder line on the negotiations, saying Washington expects Pretoria to respond to its concerns. “We are not interested in diplomatic maneuvering, procedural delays, or dialogue for dialogue’s sake,” a State Department spokesperson said. 

Pretoria, however, maintains that differences should be addressed through established diplomatic channels. In a statement issued in September, DIRCO said South Africa's bilateral discussions with Washington demonstrated the importance both countries placed on finding a lasting solution. “We maintain that challenges in our bilateral relations with the USA can only be resolved by constructive engagement through state actors on both sides of the diplomatic channel, not unilateral acts,” DIRCO said. 

South Africa has also reaffirmed its right to pursue an independent foreign policy and engage with countries across geopolitical groupings. DIRCO said in June that Pretoria remained committed to established diplomatic channels with Washington while pursuing non-alignment.

The dispute therefore remains centred on two competing approaches: Washington's demand for policy changes and a more direct response to its concerns, and Pretoria's insistence that bilateral disagreements must be addressed through diplomacy while respecting South Africa's sovereignty and domestic constitutional processes.