US Ambassador Leo Bozell III calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to condemn Kill the Boer chant

US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to publicly condemn the “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” chant, calling it an incitement to violence.

Bozell defended US concerns about violence affecting farming communities and said Washington wanted to work with the South African government on rural safety. He said he presented Ramaphosa with three concepts, including a plan developed by the South African government, and said the US was prepared to help fund efforts to improve safety.

Bozell said he had recently spoken to a farmer who told him he had been attacked and now slept with a gun. “I would say that crime in South Africa is horrific. No one’s going to disagree with me on that,” he said. But he argued that the US was particularly concerned about rural farming communities where he said there was limited police activity.

The third ask was for President Ramaphosa to condemn the “kill the Boer” chant. “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” as incitement to violence. This is a concept that is endorsed by three‑quarters of the South African people. I’ve seen the polling data,” Bozell alleged.