US Ambassador Leo Bozell III Visits AfriForum to Address Farm Murders and Rural Safety
- US Ambassador Leo Bozell II visited AfriForum's headquarters on 23 September 2026 to observe its farm-watch and community safety operations
- Bozell revealed he personally presented a rural safety plan to President Ramaphosa, urging the government to make rural crime a top priority
- The ambassador warned that South Africa's failure to act on the proposal does not bode well for US-South Africa relations
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Source: Twitter
SOUTH AFRICA - US Ambassador Leo Bozell II paid a visit to AfriForum's offices in Pretoria on 23 September 2026, taking a close look at the organisation's neighbourhood watch and farm-watch programmes as part of a broader push to address farm murders and rural safety in South Africa.
Bozell described what he saw as impressive but stressed that AfriForum could not shoulder the burden alone.
Bozell's message to Ramaphosa
The ambassador disclosed that he had gone as far as taking a formal proposal directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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"I even took a plan to President Ramaphosa, and I put it before him. I told him that the idea of supporting rural farmers and doing something about rural crime is a top-shelf priority," Bozell said.
He added that AfriForum had specifically asked for support from the South African government, and that the United States had even offered financial assistance to back such efforts. Both requests, he said, were ignored.
Bozell was direct about the consequences, noting that President Donald Trump has made his position clear and that the lack of action from Pretoria does not bode well for relations between the two countries.
South Africans divided on the visit
The ambassador's visit sparked sharp debate online, with many South Africans questioning whether the focus on farm murders overlooked the broader violence affecting communities across the country.
@mbanjwamore wrote:
"11 people were gunned down at Kwa Makhutha township this week, can this Bozell go there if he is really concerned about the lives of people."
@hoenderholle said:
"We are grateful for your attempts to get the government to listen. Once again we thank you for your care."
@Gabellah asked:
"AfriForum loudly champions the fight against farm murders — but where is the same outrage when other colour farmers and farmworkers are murdered?"
@b_nginkosiNkosi added:
"You people think you are special seriously, this week alone many people died through crime happening in South Africa but because your skin is different you must be prioritised?"
@Khovheyavhimbi1 asked:
"Have you visited any black community?"
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Source: Briefly News
