United States (US) ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III has found another ally in Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie.
The pair met on Friday in the wake of the political storm emanating from Bozell’s criticism of South Africa’s domestic and foreign policy earlier in the week.
Issues discussed included controversial political chants, the conflict in the Middle East and how the US and South Africa should be “partners, not adversaries”.
‘Totally unacceptable’
Bozell was issued a démarche by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) for remarks made at a BizNews business conference earlier in the week.
The ambassador said he considered the Kill the Boer chant to be hate speech, regardless of the court’s opinion, and urged the business community to speak out against broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE).
Other than Dirco, Bozell was criticised by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and the EFF, among others.
McKenzie visited Bozell on Friday in what the PA described as a discussion undertaken in the “spirit of mutual respect”.
The party stated that while it disagreed with claims that there was genocide being committed against South Africa’s white population, the Kill the Boer chant was wrong.
“As for the controversy around Ambassador Bozell expressing a personal opinion about the song Kill the Boer, we believe it is ridiculous, and we stand with the ambassador.
“The PA President has himself been consistent that a chant calling for the killing of a specific, named group of people – whether farmers, Boers, or any other community – is totally unacceptable.
“It is hate speech, pure and simple. No historical context can justify repeating language that celebrates the killing of fellow citizens,” the Patriotic Alliance stated.
Differing policy stances
The chair of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development supported Dirco’s rebuke of Bozell.
“As a guest in our country, an ambassador’s role is to foster bilateral relations based on mutual respect.
“Contemptuous remarks regarding our judicial system undermine the rule of law that both South Africa and the US state they uphold,” said Xola Nqola.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) were among the first to defend Bozell, with party leader Corne Mulder focusing on the US’ stipulations for a normalising of ties between the two countries.
The US wish to see a cutting of ties with the US’ adversaries, denouncement of Kill the Boer and the scrapping of the Expropriation Act and BBBEE.
“The party fully endorses these conditions. They are fair, sensible and no responsible government should persist with policies that harm its own people.
“The FF+ wishes to emphasise that this diplomatic clash is of the ANC’s own making. It has hijacked South Africa’s foreign policy to drive its own ideology, and despite numerous calls for engagement from the FF+, it simply persists,” stated Mulder.
‘No ambiguity’
Dirco had earlier this week reaffirmed its support for Iran in it conflict with the US and Israel, another position the PA have placed themselves in opposition to.
The party said Iran had pursued policies that destabilised the Middle East and used “armed proxy groups” to harm other countries in the region.
“Let there be no ambiguity – the Patriotic Alliance stands with the US and with Israel in confronting the Iranian regime. The regime must fall,” the party stated.
The PA concluded that South Africa’s relationship with the US was too important to be dictated by “ideological hostility”, and supported a mending of ties.
“With goodwill, honesty and courage on both sides, our relationship with the US can be renewed and strengthened, and absolutely must be, for the benefit of both nations,” the party stated.
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