President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday received the Letters of Credence from United States Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III at a credentials ceremony held at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
Bozell presented his credentials alongside envoys from 19 other countries, bringing the total to 20 nations accredited at the ceremony.
The event formally confirms his status as the United States’ top diplomat in South Africa.
The accreditation completes a standard diplomatic process that began when Bozell first submitted copies of his credentials to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) upon his arrival in February 2026.
Bozell, a conservative media critic and founder of the Media Research Center, was nominated by President Donald Trump in March 2025 and confirmed by the US Senate in December 2025.
He replaces Reuben Brigety, who resigned after Trump’s election victory in late 2024.
Relations between Washington and Pretoria have been strained since Trump returned to office.
Tensions escalated following the expulsion of South Africa’s former ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, in March 2025, after he described Trump supporters as part of a “supremacist movement.” South Africa has not named a replacement, leaving its Washington seat vacant.
Further friction emerged over disagreements on South Africa’s foreign policy alignments, including its ties with Russia, China, and Iran, its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and domestic policies such as Black Economic Empowerment.
In March 2026, Bozell was issued a démarche by South Africa’s foreign ministry after he labelled the “Kill the Boer” chant as hate speech and urged South African business leaders to oppose Black Economic Empowerment, remarks the government described as undiplomatic.
He later appeared to backtrack, stating that the US government respected the independence of South Africa’s judiciary.
The African National Congress had declined meetings with Bozell ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony, insisting that formal accreditation by the president was a prerequisite for any engagement.
At the ceremony, Bozell expressed optimism about bilateral relations.
“We are two nations with great shared values and interests. It is my goal in my time here to build on those shared interests and take our two nations to places they’ve never been,” he said.
Ramaphosa, in his remarks, stressed the importance of diplomats respecting host country sovereignty and raising concerns through constructive channels rather than public confrontation.
While Wednesday’s accreditation does not resolve the underlying tensions, it restores normal diplomatic operations between Pretoria and Washington and opens the door for broader official engagement.
