US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III has denied suggesting that former president Thabo Mbeki should intervene in South Africa's dispute with Washington, insisting he never called for Mbeki to mediate the strained relationship.
Bozell's clarification comes as Pretoria pushes back against US visa restrictions and warnings of further measures, while international relations minister Ronald Lamola says bilateral ties have reached a critically low point.
"I have sat down with President Mbeki on several occasions and I have the greatest respect for him," Bozell wrote on his official X account. But, he said, he "did not call for him to intervene or mediate our bilateral relationship".
His statement followed a Business Day report that identified Mbeki as someone Bozell believed could help break the diplomatic impasse. Bozell attached a clip from the interview to support his denial.
Neither Washington nor Pretoria has announced a negotiating role for Mbeki.
Clayson Monyela, the head of public diplomacy at the department of international relations and cooperation, also said Bozell had denied suggesting a role for Mbeki. He noted that the ambassador had spoken to 702 presenter Bongani Bingwa that day.
Monyela said Bozell understood that proposing a former president as South Africa's negotiator would be "undiplomatic, disrespectful & hugely problematic".
"Imagine us imposing Pres Obama on the current President," he wrote, referring to former US president Barack Obama.
The exchange touches on who represents South Africa in talks with a government demanding changes to its domestic and foreign policies.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer as ambassador in Washington, while his adviser Alistair Ruiters has also been involved in efforts to repair relations.
The disagreement over Mbeki arose days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions against foreign nationals Washington says are responsible for South African laws or policies that enable race-based discrimination, uncompensated land seizures or incitement against minority groups.
South Africa rejects that characterisation of its policies. Lamola's department says measures intended to address the injustices of apartheid are a constitutional obligation and that disagreements should be resolved through dialogue between the two governments.
Bozell has warned that the visa restrictions could be followed by further measures. He has also said a recent letter from Ramaphosa to US President Donald Trump failed to meet Washington's requests.
Reuters disputes that assessment, saying South Africa has made commitments while the US continues to shift its demands. Ramaphosa's letter has not been made public.
Speaking in New York this week, Lamola said South Africans should prepare for the "worst-case scenario". Pretoria was being asked to surrender its sovereignty over black economic empowerment, land reform and foreign policy, he said.
Bozell says he made no call for Mbeki to enter the talks. The substantive differences between the governments remain, along with Washington's warning that further measures could follow if those differences are not resolved.