South Africa: Washington loses patience with Ramaphosa and bets on Mbeki

In an interview on Monday, September 21, with Business Day, the diplomat expressed that Mbeki possesses the stature and experience necessary to restore high-level dialogue with Washington. He believes the former South African leader is capable of advancing discussions that have stalled between the two capitals.

This statement comes as bilateral relations have further deteriorated with new U.S. visa restrictions targeting certain South African nationals. Washington justifies these measures by citing allegations related to racial policies, land expropriation issues, and certain rhetoric deemed hostile to minorities. Pretoria rejects the notion of systemic discrimination against whites and defends its policies aimed at addressing inequalities inherited from apartheid.

Bozell also asserted that the recent letter from Ramaphosa to Donald Trump did not meet U.S. expectations. According to him, after more than a year of discussions, Washington is now seeking concrete responses. South African presidential advisor Alistair Ruiters contested this interpretation, accusing the United States of frequently shifting its demands and asserting that Pretoria has already made several concessions, particularly regarding certain aspects of economic empowerment rules.

When asked separately by SABC, the U.S. ambassador recalled meeting Thabo Mbeki about five months ago, describing that exchange as constructive. For his part, Cyril Ramaphosa stated that his government remains willing to engage in dialogue with the United States while preserving South Africa’s sovereignty.

The diplomatic crisis occurs during a period of heightened tensions between the two countries. Pretoria has appointed Roelf Meyer to lead the effort to restore dialogue in Washington, while former South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was expelled from the United States in March 2025 after being declared persona non grata.