President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next US Ambassador to South Africa has told a Senate confirmation hearing that if confirmed, he would communicate his country’s objections to South Africa geostrategic drift from non-alignment towards Washington’s competitors.

Leo Brent Bozell the third also said that he would press South Africa to end proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice.

“I will communicate our objections to South Africa’s geostrategic drift from non-alignment toward our competitors, including Russia, China and Iran. I would press South Africa to end proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice and to pressure the International Criminal Court prosecutor to discontinue this lawfare, which is belied by Israel’s support for the ceasefire in Gaza and commitment to the rules of war throughout the conflict,” said Bozell.

He acknowledged that his nomination came at a challenging moment for US-South Africa relations and that President Trump had expressed serious concerns about South Africa.

He cited concerns around private property rights, rampant corruption, crime and what he called “unfair business practices that hold back the South African economy”, warning that these issues would make common ground harder to find in the US-South Africa bilateral relationship.

He also focused on what his priorities would be, including advancing the relocation of Afrikaners to the United States.

“I  will advance the president’s invitation to Afrikaners who wish to flee unjust racial discrimination. I will explore how we can support the South African government in making sure all South Africans can thrive free from the threat of violence. I will support the president’s call for the South African government to rescind support for the expropriation of private property without compensation. Finally, I will advocate for business interests by promoting fair trade practices and reduced barriers that will level the playing field for US companies and empower South Africa as an engine of economic growth, creating a more prosperous future for both our countries,” he explained.