US ambassador formally assumes duties in Pretoria amid strained ties

Leo Brent Bozell III has presented his letters of credence to South Africa’s government, formally assuming his duties as Washington’s top diplomat in Pretoria. The handover clears a procedural milestone that had been pending since his arrival in the country earlier this month and brings to a close a period of diplomatic limbo. Business Daypreviously reportedthat President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that no date had been set for a credential ceremony, meaning Bozell had been physically present on South African soil but remained ambassador-designate under diplomatic convention.

South Africa typically handles the process through a group ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where multiple envoys submit credentials simultaneously. Business Day understands Bozell III will officially hand over his credentials along with other ambassadors from other countries to Ramaphosa in a ceremony at a later date. Bozell III handed over copies of his credentials at a low-key ceremony to department of international relations and co-operation deputy director-general Clayson Monyela on Monday.

Bozell is not a career diplomat. A conservative media critic and founder of the Media Research Centre, he was nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the US Senate in December 2025 by a 53-43 party-line vote. His formal assumption of duties comes at a particularly fraught moment.

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Relations between Pretoria and Washington have deteriorated sharply, with Trump cutting all US aid to South Africa, imposing steep tariffs on its exports and publicly accusing the country of persecuting its white minority. South Africa has not had an ambassador in Washington since early 2025, when envoy Ebrahim Rasool was expelled after publicly criticising Trump. Bozell is also a fierce supporter of Israel, a position that puts him on a direct collision course with the SA government, which has brought a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. —Business Day

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