US Ambassador Visits AfriForum, Raises Concerns Over Rural Crime
US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III visited AfriForum’s headquarters today, Wednesday, where he praised the organisation’s farm-watch and neighbourhood safety initiatives and criticised Pretoria’s response to Washington’s concerns about rural safety.
Bozell said Washington had previously asked the South African government to make rural safety a priority and had offered assistance to support efforts to improve safety in farming communities.
“They are doing a terrific job. But they need help. This was ignored,” Bozell said in a post on X.
He said Pretoria’s response to Washington’s concerns had implications for relations between the two countries, adding that President Donald Trump had made clear that the issue “does not bode well for US-South Africa relations”.
AfriForum thanked Bozell for visiting its headquarters.
The visit comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Pretoria. Last week, the US announced visa restrictions targeting certain foreign nationals it says are responsible for, or complicit in, race-based discrimination, incitement of imminent violence and policies enabling uncompensated land seizures in South Africa.
Bozell has described the visa restrictions as the first in a series of possible escalatory measures as Washington presses Pretoria over several issues, including rural safety, land reform and race-based policies.
Bozell has previously identified rural safety as one of Washington’s concerns in its dealings with the South African government. He has said the US wants to work with Pretoria to improve safety in rural farming communities and has indicated that Washington is prepared to support such efforts.
Pretoria has rejected US characterisations of its policies, while South African officials have maintained that issues such as land reform and measures aimed at addressing apartheid-era inequality must be considered within the country’s constitutional framework.
