‘Relations are collapsing’: Bozell hits back at Lamola over ‘get out of the kitchen’ jab - IOL

US Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell has responded to remarks by International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola that he must ‘get out of the kitchen’.

US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III has hit back at Ronald Lamola’s “get out of the kitchen” warning, accusing the International Relations minister of personally insulting him and bluntly asking why the government “wonders why relations are collapsing”.

Bozell accused Lamola of personally insulting an American diplomatic representative, warning that the minister’s remarks could further damage already strained bilateral relations.

The clash follows South Africa’s third formal diplomatic protest, or démarche, against Bozell in nine months.

Pretoria has accused the ambassador of undiplomatic conduct and of crossing the line by publicly commenting on South Africa’s domestic political affairs.

Reported in the Sunday Times, Lamola’s remarks came after Bozell said Washington was “tired of the many discussions” and had run out of patience with Pretoria.

The minister said such an approach was incompatible with the role of a diplomat, arguing that engagement and dialogue remained central to diplomacy.

“You can't have a diplomat who says the time for talking is over,” Lamola said. “It's our job to talk. So if you can't talk as a diplomat and you cannot dialogue, get out of the kitchen.”

Lamola also accused Bozell of interfering in South Africa’s domestic politics, saying the ambassador’s public interventions amounted to “very undiplomatic conduct”.

“As a diplomat, you cannot interfere in the domestic politics of your host nation,” Lamola said. “It's rule number one of diplomacy.”

Bozell, however, showed no sign of backing down.

Taking to X, he accused Lamola of personally targeting an American representative and warned that such attacks were making an already difficult relationship worse.

“So here we go again,” Bozell wrote. “Another minister Lamola personal insult aimed at an American leader… And then the South African government wonders why relations are collapsing.”

The latest war of words puts the conduct of both diplomats and political leaders under renewed scrutiny.