International relations and co-operation minister Ronald Lamola says US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III must “get out of the kitchen” if he no longer believes in diplomatic engagements with Pretoria.
Again deploring Bozell’s “undiplomatic conduct” and interference in SA’s domestic affairs, Lamola defended government’s decision to demarche Bozell for the third time since his arrival in February – despite fears of putting further strain on relations between SA and US president Donald Trump’s administration.
A démarche is the strongest formal diplomatic protest a government can issue, short of declaring a diplomat persona non grata.
Speaking to the Sunday Times at OR Tambo International Airport before leaving for an African leaders’ gathering in Egypt, Lamola accused Bozell of interfering in domestic issues, which he said was frowned upon in diplomacy.
Lamola said South Africa had issued Bozell with a third démarche to express unhappiness with his latest comments on the “white genocide falsehood”, and his September meeting with AfriForum in which he expressed frustration with the South African government as well as his claim that the US was “tired of the many discussions” and had run out of patience with South Africa.
The minister said he was “taken aback” by Bozell’s remark that the “time for talking was over” because, as a diplomat, his job is to resolve differences through dialogue.
It’s our job to talk. So if you can’t talk as a diplomat and you cannot dialogue ... get out of the kitchen
— Ronald Lamola, international relations minister
If Bozell was “tired” of talking, Lamola added, he ought to “get out of the kitchen”.
“I was taken aback. You can’t have a diplomat who says time for talking is over. It’s our job to talk. So if you can’t talk as a diplomat and you cannot dialogue ... get out of the kitchen,” said Lamola.
“Yes, he has been involved in very undiplomatic conduct. As a diplomat you cannot interfere in the domestic politics of your host. It’s rule number one of diplomacy. And he clearly with his posture, public engagements, clearly he’s engaging in our domestic politics.” Lamola added that South Africa is capable of running its own domestic affairs.
“At this stage, we have démarched him, we have frowned upon his conduct and we urge him to desist from this undiplomatic conduct.”
Asked if the latest démarche will not further antagonise an already hostile White House, Lamola said South Africa will continue to act on any ambassador that fails to toe the line.
“No, a wrong conduct is a wrong conduct. It must be attended to. It doesn’t matter who that comes from. Whether it comes from him, or it comes from Washington, it’s a wrong conduct by a diplomat,” said Lamola.
He pointed out that when the US was not happy with comments made by then ambassador to the US, Ebrahim Rasool, Washington expelled the ambassador without so much as a warning.
“In Washington, you will remember that our ambassador was not even démarched, he was not even given a warning, he was expelled for the same conduct that this ambassador Bozell is guilty of here in South Africa,” said Lamola.
“In fact, we are better, we are giving him warnings, we are engaging him. And this is a clear demonstration from our side that we remain committed to dialogue and engage with them — and we are clearly being genuine, extending a genuine hand.”
When all the countries are joining us on this matter, including the UK which is an ally of the US, on the side of the UN Charter, it is clear that South Africa is standing on principle.”
— Lamola
Lamola is in Egypt this weekend to accompany President Cyril Ramaphosa who is attending the 8th AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in his capacity as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community.
Lamola spent much of last month in the US attending the UN’s General Assembly, and meeting with US politicians, including senator Bernie Sanders and congressmen Jessie Jackson Jnr and Gregory Meeks.
He said that his meetings left him with the impression that Washington, rather than Pretoria, was out of step with the international mood on topics such “white genocide in South Africa” and the country’s stance on Israel ‘s war in Gaza.
“There is a tectonic shift in the world. Countries of global influence are now coming back to the UN Charter as you have seen from their recognition of the state of Palestine to the clear latest shift and firm standing on the side of the UN Charter by the UK,” said Lamola.
“And as you know there’s many countries, particularly in Europe, that have been leading the charge in defence of the UN Charter and the rule of law, like Norway — they’ve always been there — and then France last year hosted the two-state solution conference and the UK has now come out firmly and clearly. So it is clear that the UN Charter is now being vindicated by these countries and they are now also ready to proceed, to also defend, and this is good for the international rule of law.”
South Africa, said Lamola, was now being rightly recognised as an important player in the geopolitical sphere for its “principled” stance on the international rule of law.
“It shows that we have played a role of global influence and we continue to do so as a country. And many countries do recognise South Africa’s role, influence and stature in global politics,” said Lamola.
“This is signified by The Hague Group, the panel on inequality, the fact that contenders and leading candidates for the UN secretary-general have all lobbied South Africa. And we have been very clear as South Africa that we support a woman from Latin America and we want to see them succeed.”
“So we know that Washington has issues with our views as they have expressed this opinion, but when all the countries are joining us on this matter, including the UK which is an ally of the US, on the side of the UN Charter, it is clear that South Africa is standing on principle.”
I’m glad they’ve not been able to succeed because progressive Afrikaners, white South Africans, blacks, coloured, Indians have said ‘not in our name’. Although we have challenges, we are capable of resolving our challenges
— Lamola
He said that the stance taken by some in the US Congress, by Norway, the UK, and global superpowers in denouncing both Israel and the white genocide “lies” shows that the White House was being isolated in the stance it has taken against South Africa.
“(There are) very progressive Americans who have got a very clear picture about South Africa and they are shocked about the lies and falsehoods of white genocide that are being peddled about South Africa,” he said.
“They see South Africa as a progressive country, a country that has got rule of law — that like any other country has got its challenges. Like the crime challenge that affects everyone which we are contending with and we are attending to, our history of inequality and landlessness, of dispossession.
“They understand that we have got a constitutional imperative to address the history of inequality, of landlessness for the black majority, and they understand that this is a constitutional imperative — it’s not an arbitrary process, it’s something that should be respected — that it is necessary for the South African people to do. And they also understand that we are the last nation in the world to gain our democracy and we have worked very hard to build a nation with our diversity.”
According to Lamola, there is a direct link between the White House’s hostilities against South Africa and its genocidal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, as well as the white genocide falsehoods.
He said the US was essentially punishing South Africa for its stance against Israel by attacking what he says are two fault lines to discredit the country on the global stage. These fault lines, Lamola said, were non-racialism as well as ethnicity and tribalism.
“So someone will want to go there and if you attack that, it means you are going to stoke racial conflict and divide South African society along racial lines. But I’m glad they’ve not been able to succeed because progressive Afrikaners, white South Africans, blacks, coloured, Indians have said ‘not in our name’. Although we have challenges, we are capable of resolving our challenges,” said Lamola.
“The second fault line, it will be on ethnicity, tribalism, what we see as xenophobia. Because of the history of divisions in the country, you will want that to be stoked and obviously an extension of this white genocide thing is what we see unfolding, sometimes gaining traction in some platforms on xenophobia that we have condemned.
“We are very clear that the South African government has got the right to enforce its immigration laws, but this must be done by the government lawfully through authorities — and must not be used to divide our society either on racial, on ethnic, on colour, or on origin.”
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