ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has officially announced the party will lead a march where it will promote a message of South Africa’s sovereignty.

• ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has officially announced the party will lead a march where it will promote a message of South Africa’s sovereignty.
• Mbalula criticised US ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III for his recent utterances on Pretoria’s policies.
• Mbalula’s deputy, Nomvula Mokonyane, labelled Bozell as “illegitimate” – for now – as he’s yet to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party will not tolerate “disrespect” from controversial US ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III.

Mbalula’s comments follow Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Minister Ronald Lamola’s démarche against Bozell.

Bozell had, during a BizNews-led conference, made undiplomatic comments, saying he “does not care” about the South African courts’ ruling that the “Kill the Boer” chant is not hate speech.

Mbalula shot back during a press briefing on Wednesday, where he said the ANC will declare an “unmistakable” commitment that South Africa’s sovereignty is not up for grabs.

READ | US ambassador backtracks on ‘Kill the Boer’ comment, now respects SA court ruling

After Mbalula addressed the briefing, he took to X to say: “Bozell came here and spoke out of turn even before he presented his credentials, he fought against this democracy by protesting against OR Tambo.

“He disrespected and undermined our courts. We will not allow disrespect, and that’s why our government decided to démarche him because of his undiplomatic utterances.”

Mbalula said:

He announced a march to be held on Human Rights Day on Saturday, 21 March.

The march is titled: “In defence of our sovereignty and democratic gains.”

Human Rights Day bears historical significance in South Africa as it commemorates the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, where 69 peaceful protesters were killed and 180 wounded by apartheid police while demonstrating against the discriminatory pass laws.

In the briefing, Mbalula said it was a “challenge” to pick a South African ambassador to the US due to Washington’s stance on Pretoria.

Mbalula’s deputy, Nomvula Mokonyane, labelled Bozell as “illegitimate” – for now – as he’s yet to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mokonyane, who doubles as the party’s figurehead on international relations, said the ANC is in no rush to meet the ambassador as he is yet to be received by Ramaphosa.

So far, Bozell has met Dirco head of diplomacy Clayson Monyela, who received Bozell’s credentials in February.

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Considering the ANC’s view of the diplomatic space, keeping Bozell at arm’s length is the right step for now, according to Mokonyane.

She added: “Have they reached out to us? Yes. There are many people who have reached out. We have also been in touch with the United States of America’s embassy here over many other programmes of the ANC.

“But what we will not do is to give legitimacy to that which is yet to be legitimate in our country.”

Party dynamics

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times recently reported that the ANC in the Greater Johannesburg region had resolved to oust Dada Morero as Johannesburg mayor at a special meeting recently.

However, Mbalula said the national working committee, which sat this week, has decided that what the ANC in Johannesburg had done “shouldn’t be done”.

“We face challenges from time to time, but they’re our structures and we’ll talk to them.

“The mayor is there and is not removed.”

He announced that the ANC will announce mayoral candidates next week.