Parliament to invite DIRCO to explain Bozell demarche

Parliament's Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation plans to summon the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to shed light on the reasons behind US Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, receiving a third diplomatic protest within a nine-month period. Committee chairperson Mosa Chabane expressed his concern over DIRCO's confirmation that Ambassador Bozell has faced yet another diplomatic reprimand.

While the committee waits for the briefing from DIRCO, it emphasized the importance of maintaining South Africa's sovereignty, as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The convention stipulates that diplomats must respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs.

The United States has reiterated its demands on South Africa, with the State Department asserting that Ambassador Bozell engaged with South African officials to discuss bilateral relations. However, the US insisted that Pretoria must respond to President Donald Trump's executive order, which frames the current diplomatic stalemate. This order challenges South Africa's land policies and its stance on various international issues, including its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).