The US Embassy confirmed on Tuesday that the conservative media critic chosen by President Donald Trump has officially assumed his post as US ambassador to South Africa, according to AFP.
Brent Bozell’s arrival comes at a crucial time when relations between the US and South Africa have seen rising tensions since Trump’s return to office in January 2025.
“I’m confirming that he’s in country,” a US embassy official told AFP. Trump’s new envoy arrives in South Africa to frayed relations.
Trump announced Bozell’s nomination as US ambassador to South Africa in March, shortly after expelling Pretoria’s envoy over accusations of criticism toward Washington.
While Bozell has now arrived to assume his post, South Africa has not named a successor yet.
Trump described Bozell as a person who “brings fearless tenacity, extraordinary experience, and vast knowledge to a nation that desperately needs it.”
Despite the fact that Bozell has already arrived in South Africa, the ambassador-designate must still present his credentials to President Cyril Ramaphosa before officially assuming his post.
However, both the US Embassy and South Africa’s Foreign Ministry have not clarified the date of the ceremony.
Brent Bozell, 70, founder of the Media Research Center, a US non-profit that says it works to “expose and counter the leftist bias of the national news media.”
South Africa’s Genocide Case
One of the most contentious issues clouding ties between Washington and Pretoria is South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Bozell is best known as a strong defender of Israel.
In January, Pretoria expelled Israel’s top diplomat citing a “series of violations.”
The Trump administration boycotted South Africa’s 2025 G20 summit in Johannesburg. Moreover, it has not extended an invitation to Pretoria for its own hosting of the group of leading economies this year.
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