Trump nominated Bozell III ‘to keep an eye on SA’

US President Donald Trump has likely nominated conservative Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa to keep an eye on the country and report back to Trump.

This is the view of some after Bozell III’s nomination was published on the US Congress’ official website this week. He will replace Reuben Brigety, who resigned last year.

Tensions

Bozell III, whom the Senate must confirm, will step into the role with tensions high between South Africa and the United States.

Trump has cut financial aid to South Africa and issued an executive order against the country, alleging human rights issues and criticising Pretoria for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice.

This has been exacerbated after South Africa’s former ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, was declared persona non grata and given just a week to leave the US due to his comments about the Trump administration.

Who is Bozell III?

Bozell III, a conservative activist, is the father of one of the people charged with storming the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

Leo Brent Bozell IV, from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was convicted in September 2023 of 10 charges, including four felonies, for his participation in the storming of the US Capitol by conservatives to try to forcibly prevent the official ratification of Joe Biden as the winner of the November 2020 presidential election.

In January, Bozell III took to social media X (formerly Twitter) to post that his son was one of the pro-Trump supporters who were granted pardons for attacking Capitol Hill.

According to a statement by the Department of Justice, Bozell IV was sentenced to 45 months in prison, three months of supervised release and $4,729 (R86 380) on 17 May 2024.

Bozell III is also the founder of Media Research Centre, whose mandate is to expose liberal bias in the media.

Supporting Israel

Bozell III has also been a vocal supporter of the Israeli government.

After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, he posted a fundraising appeal for Israel on his centre’s website, saying that he did not usually make appeals for outside causes but was making an exception because “this is an emergency.”

‘Not good for SA’

International relations expert from the Wits School Governance, Professor Alex van den Heever, told The Citizen the appointment of Bozell is inappropriate

“I think it shows a complete lack of sensitivity to the complexity of the South Africa context. It shouldn’t happen, and it should be objected to.

“I think that given the way the US administration responded to our ambassador, I don’t think that it is appropriate to have somebody with an animus against South Africa as the ambassador.

He predicted that the appointment would cause further strain in US-SA relations and polarisation.

“A diplomat is not meant to be a partisan politician.

“I think that that’s not what you need in an ambassador. It’s not what people want in a South African ambassador in the US, and it’s not what South Africa deserves as a diplomat in South Africa.

“I would argue that there’s a good chance that he would actually be rejected as an ambassador for South Africa by South Africa, exactly the same way as Rasool was objected to in the US.

“In both cases, people must think about appointing a genuine ambassador, somebody who’s neutral and can represent and engage in a manner that is not polarising in the country and not become part of the politics of the country,” he added.  

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International relations expert Jan Venter, from North-West University said Trump chose a conservative candidate for US ambassador to South Africa deliberately because he will represent him well in South Africa.

“His CV reads like something out of the conservative handbook. This ambassador is even more conservative than Trump and so he trusts him to convey his message to the SA government.

“We can expect a very strict line from this ambassador,” Venter said.

‘Nomination makes sense’

Professor André Thomashausen, professor emeritus of international law at Unisa, told The Citizen it is normal for the US government to appoint senior ambassadors to partner nations close to the SA government’s politics.

“It wouldn’t make sense to suggest that Donald Trump nominate Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders as ambassadors to South Africa, so we shouldn’t question this. Obviously, the democratically elected president of a country has the right to have a team fit for our relations.

“It is good that an ambassador is being appointed because, with the current tensions, what could also have happened is that the position remains vacant for the next year or two or three years that there is simply no appointment, and that would signal an even greater discord,” Thomashausen said.

Thomashausen said the appointment of an ambassador is a “positive” move for the country.

“This will be somebody who will obviously follow the policy as defined by President Trump, and he has made it very clear that he opposes legislation that is based on a racist bias, meaning that you cannot get a mining license unless you belong to a certain race group or you cannot get employment unless you fall within the quota set in the employment equity is about to be implemented.”

‘Ear to the ground’

Freedom Front Plus MP leader Dr Corné Mulder said Trump’s appointment of Bozell III is a “welcome development and shows that South Africa is still high on the American agenda”.

“Bozell III’s appointment is not for nothing. He is a veteran conservative media commentator, media expert and political activist.

“Clearly, the Trump administration wants a representative in South Africa who will keep their ear to the ground to keep Trump up to date with political developments and the South African media’s role and message,” Mulder said.

Meeting

Mulder said they want to meet with Bozell III if he is elected.

“If Bozell III does accept the position, the Freedom Front Plus would like to meet with him to bring him up to speed with what is happening in South Africa from the party’s point of view.”

ALSO READ: Trump lashes out at SA again as AfriForum thanks US president

Defending Trump’s stance

Jaco Kleynhans, head of public liaison at trade union Solidarity, also welcomed the nomination of Bozell III.

“Uitstekende aanstelling (excellent appointment). Bozell III is a solid appointment. We welcome his nomination. Bozell III has fought left-wing bias in the American media for decades and is a well-known champion of conservative values ​​in the US.

“He will be a friend to individuals and organisations in South Africa who share these values,” Kleynhans said.

“Bozell III has years of political experience and will come here to defend US President Donald Trump’s strong stance on South Africa’s disastrous foreign policy, but also the country’s dangerous domestic policies (expropriation, Bela, racial laws, etc.).

“However, he is also someone who can build and repair, and we at Solidarity would be happy to work with him to help repair the relationship between South Africa and America. His appointment is strongly supported by us,” Kleynhans added.

‘Afrikaner development’

Solidarity and AfriForum recently travelled to the US. There, they met officials from Trump’s administration to request that they pressure the South African government and ask for humanitarian assistance for Afrikaners’ development.

Their visit has raised eyebrows, with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, confirming that it is investigating four case dockets of high treason linked to claims of a white genocide against farmers in the country.

US citizenship

This follows the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party recently laying criminal charges of treason against AfriForum, accusing the lobby group of economic sabotage.

Trump offered an expedited pathway to US citizenship for white South Africans, falsely claiming that the government was confiscating their land and calling their treatment in the country “terrible”.

Trump said “any farmer” who is “seeking to flee” South Africa “for reasons of safety” can now apply to become a US citizen – rather than a refugee.

ALSO READ: Trump offers white South African farmers expedited US citizenship