Khumbudzo Ntshavheni Defends SA BEE Laws After US Ambassador Leo Bozell III Is Demarched Again
- Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni confirmed South Africa demarched US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III over his conduct
- Ntshavheni also discussed Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), as Washington continues to request that it be scrapped
- South Africans took to social media to weigh in on Ntshavheni's comments about the US' demands, sharing mixed reactions to them
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG — South Africa has formally demarched United States Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III, with Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni saying the diplomatic rebuke followed conduct the government deemed unacceptable.
Ntshavheni addressed the media at a government briefing in Pretoria on 29 September, outlining South Africa's position on the ongoing diplomatic tensions with Washington, including the contentious question of Black Economic Empowerment legislation.
Bozell III had previously been demarched over his comments about the Kill the Boer chant. He later apologised and walked back the most inflammatory part of the remarks.
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SA stands firm on BEE and minerals
During her speech, the minister was unequivocal that South Africa would not scrap BEE policies to satisfy US demands.
She explained that BEE is embedded in national legislation and cannot be removed through an executive decision. She added that it was for the transformation of the country, adding that any change would require a formal amendment of legislation, a process the government has no intention of initiating under external pressure.
Ntshavheni also defended South Africa's position on critical minerals, stating that the country's resources must benefit South Africans first, including through local beneficiation rather than raw mineral exports.
South Africa’s position is that it will not simply mine and export raw critical minerals. It wants processing, refining and value-addition done in South Africa. She explained that access to those minerals was one of the issues straining relations with Washington, and that South Africa would not negotiate its mineral wealth away to satisfy foreign interests.
"Africa can no longer continue to be the exporters of rock and dust," Ntshavheni said.
How did South Africans react?
The minister's comments sparked mixed reactions online, with some defending the country and others criticising the government's approach.
@Darkiemantsu said:
"The minerals in this country benefit Zama Zamas, not South Africans."
@Loveocks wrote:
"It's the BEE 30 per cent that enriched ANC cadres and not the poor or marginalised that the USA wants abolished."
@mphathe questioned the government's consistency:
"They are not consistent, and they are hypocrites. If minerals are the case, why are they not dealing with Zama Zamas, because those illegal miners are selling their minerals to foreigners like the Chinese."
@JP4906 offered a different framing:
"No. It's actually about the US wanting SA to condemn incitement to violence, hate speech, land expropriation without compensation, tackling rural and farm crime, racial laws and policies."
Bozell III calls on Cyril Ramaphosa to act
Briefly News highlighted facts about Bozell’s call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to publicly condemn the “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” chant.
Bozell said Washington had made five formal diplomatic demands of Pretoria, with two considered to have been dealt with or set aside.
The ambassador argued that a court ruling on the chant did not prevent Ramaphosa from taking a moral stance on the matter.
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Source: Briefly News
