The United States Ambassador has a message for Cyril Ramaphosa’s government

The United States’s Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, slammed the government’s claim of being non-aligned.

He questioned South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government’s claim to a non-alignment position in international affairs.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said that non-alignment is not passive neutrality or isolation.

Instead, policymakers describe it as an active, independent diplomatic strategy designed to maximise South Africa’s national interests.

However, Brent Bozell III said recent government actions have raised questions about the non-alignment claim.

“The South African government rolls out the red carpet for Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister,” he said.

“Deputy President Mashatile is in Beijing deepening ties with China. Pretoria calls this non-alignment.”

“We call it what it is: a choice. The South African people deserve an honest conversation about who their government is choosing to stand with.”

“South Africa can’t claim the mantle of non-alignment while actively courting America’s adversaries. These are choices, and they speak for themselves.”

These comments from Brent Bozell III came amidst Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s working visit to the People’s Republic of China.

Mashatile delivered a keynote address at the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo’s Opening Ceremony.

“South Africa and China enjoy a deep and enduring strategic partnership founded on mutual respect, solidarity, and a shared vision for development,” he said.

“Our cooperation continues to expand through strong trade and investment ties, as well as through platforms such as BRICS.”

South Africa reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with the People’s Republic of China.

Leo Brent Bozell III’s comments about South Africa’s foreign policy

Brent Bozell III’s latest comments are no surprise. He has often challenged South Africa’s claim to maintain a strictly neutral stance on global conflicts.

In his prepared statements and public addresses, he noted that South Africa’s actions in the international arena do not meet the definition of true neutrality.

Instead of a balanced approach, he argues that Pretoria’s diplomatic choices have increasingly signalled a deliberate drift away from Western partnerships.

A central pillar of Bozell’s criticism is South Africa’s warming diplomatic relationship with Iran and its alignment with Tehran.

According to the United States’s Ambassador to South Africa, it is a clear choice to side with an open adversary of the United States.

He has also objected to the South African government using international bodies to target Western allies.

He cited South Africa’s decision to bring its genocide case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

He said that this is not independent, principle-driven diplomacy, but part of a pattern where South Africa aligns with global competitors and adversaries of the U.S.

Despite these actions, the United States remains keen to build a stronger relationship with South Africa.

“I have spoken to President Donald Trump. He had a simple request: ‘I want South Africa to become non-aligned again’,” he said. “This is not too much to ask.”

He said the Trump Administration values its relationship with South Africa and considers it among the Top 10 countries in terms of importance.