Trump envoy recommendation aggravates S-Africa

(MENAFN) Tensions between South Africa and the United States have intensified following US President Donald Trump’s nomination of Leo Brent Bozell III as the new ambassador to Pretoria, according to a South African legislator. Nqobile Mhlongo, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party's commissar, spoke to RT, claiming that the timing of Bozell's nomination—coming shortly after the expulsion of South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool—appears to be a strategic move aimed at pressuring South Africa into compliance.

Mhlongo argued that Trump’s nomination was an attempt to provoke South Africa and assert US dominance, particularly in response to South Africa’s pro-Palestinian stance. She linked the nomination to Pretoria’s recent legal action against Israel, accusing the country of genocide, and noted that Trump’s actions seem to target South Africa’s position on Israel.

Additionally, Mhlongo criticized Trump’s executive orders demanding South Africa reverse domestic policies, such as the appellate bill, national health insurance bill, and expropriation bill, which aims to address the historical injustices of apartheid and colonialism. She emphasized that South Africa rejects external pressure on its sovereignty and policy decisions, insisting that the nation is not a "satellite state" of the US.

Furthermore, tensions have been exacerbated by Trump’s suspension of federal funding to South Africa over the controversial expropriation law, which South Africa argues is designed to correct racial land ownership imbalances. Trump has condemned the law, claiming it unfairly targets white South African agricultural landowners.

MENAFN08042025000045015687ID1109401818