The United States’ ambassador-designate to South Africa, Brent Bozell III, has warned that Washington sees Pretoria as drifting into China’s orbit — and vowed to challenge what he described as South Africa’s “geostrategic drift” toward America’s global competitors.

Appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week, Bozell pledged that, if confirmed as Washington’s top diplomat in Pretoria, he would “communicate our objections to South Africa’s geostrategic drift from non-alignment toward our competitors, including Russia, China and Iran.”

Bozell’s statement signals that Washington’s potential next envoy to Pretoria will not shy away from confronting South Africa’s increasingly close relations with Beijing — mutual ties that have grown over the past decade to make China South Africa’s largest trading partner.

“If confirmed, I will approach my ambassadorship with respect for the South African people. South Africa is our largest trading partner on the African continent, and more than 500 US businesses in South Africa employ over 250,000 South Africans. I take seriously my responsibility for ensuring the safety of the nearly 400,000 American citizens who annually visit South Africa and for the care of the hardworking diplomats at our US embassy and consulates.

“I come before you at a challenging moment for US–South Africa relations,” Bozell told senators.

“When people and businesses in South Africa believe their private property rights are at risk, when rampant corruption and unfair business practices hold back the economy, and when South African politicians greet as friends those who seek to destabilize the world’s peace and security, then common ground between our two countries feels harder to find.”

Bozell’s message: US wants to reclaim influence

Bozell, a conservative media executive and political activist with deep roots in Washington’s right, said he would use his ambassadorship to advocate for American business interests and promote “fair trade practices” in South Africa.

He pledged to “level the playing field for US companies” — a comment analysts view as a veiled reference to Chinese firms’ leading presence in South African infrastructure, energy, and technology projects.

He also tied economic concerns to geopolitics, saying South Africa’s growing engagement with countries such as China and Russia “makes common ground harder to find” on issues of global security and democratic governance.

“I will communicate our objections to South Africa’s geostrategic drift … and support the President’s call for South Africa to reconsider policies that risk aligning with our adversaries,” Bozell told lawmakers.

Balancing between Beijing and Washington

South Africa has long defended its foreign policy stance as non-aligned and rooted in pragmatism — maintaining that its engagement with China and other BRICS members is driven by economic cooperation, not political allegiance. Pretoria has also argued that its diversified partnerships protect national sovereignty and economic resilience.

But Bozell’s remarks suggest that Washington may seek a more assertive posture, pressing South Africa to demonstrate independence from Beijing’s expanding influence — both in trade and in global forums such as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.

If confirmed, Bozell’s tenure could mark a shift from cautious diplomacy to open competition for influence in one of Africa’s most strategic democracies.

Bozell takes aim at South Africa’s case against Israel

In one of the sharpest passages of his statement, Bozell attacked South Africa’s legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where Pretoria has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

He told senators that one of his first diplomatic tasks would be to press the South African government to withdraw the case.

“I would press South Africa to end proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice,” he said, adding that he would also urge Pretoria 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.”

Bozell’s words mark one of the strongest criticisms yet from a US official of South Africa’s decision to pursue the genocide case, which has been widely supported across Africa and the Global South. His remarks also signal that the Biden administration’s successor — or, in this case, President Trump’s new team — intends to directly challenge Pretoria’s global activism on the Gaza issue.

South Africa’s government has repeatedly defended the case as rooted in international law and consistent with its historic role as an advocate for human rights. Pretoria insists that its position is not “anti-Israel” but reflects its opposition to “the atrocities committed against civilians in Gaza.”

Still, Bozell’s framing of the case as “lawfare” — legal warfare — underscores the extent to which Washington sees Pretoria’s actions as politically motivated and strategically aligned with nations that are critical of the United States and its allies.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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