ANC, backed by civil society, plans mass protest as Mbalula condemns ambassador’s “undiplomatic utterances”

The African National Congress (ANC) has mobilized for “The People’s March” on March 21, 2026, to forcefully reject U.S. criticisms of South Africa’s domestic policies. The move follows a formal diplomatic rebuke of U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III and cites controversial claims of “genocide,” which fact-checkers dispute. With support from major civil society groups, the ANC vows to defend land reform and Black Economic Empowerment against what it calls foreign bullying, even as domestic critics highlight pressing internal crises.

 JOHANNESBURG – In a defiant move that escalates simmering diplomatic rift, African National Congress (ANC) has called for a national mobilisation dubbed “The People’s March” scheduled for March 21, 2026.

The protest is a direct response to what the party labels as unwarranted and disrespectful criticism from the United States regarding key government policies on land reform, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), and the contentious issue of farm attacks.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, in a fiery post on X , framed the march as a necessary act of national sovereignty.

“We will not allow disrespect, and that’s why our government decided to demarche Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell because of his undiplomatic utterances,” Mbalula stated.

He emphasised South Africa “won’t be told by an ambassador what to do when it comes to our transformation policies.”

The diplomatic row centres on U.S. Ambassador Bozell III.

Mbalula accused Bozell of having “spoken out of turn even before he presented his credentials,” referencing the ambassador past protests against anti-apartheid figure OR Tambo and alleging he “undermined our courts.”

This led to a formal demarche—a severe diplomatic reprimand—from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

To bolster ANC position, Mbalula pointed to recent violent crime, specifically referencing a disturbing incident in Limpopo.

He cited the case of  white farmer and two employees alleged to have shot two women and fed their remains to pigs.

“Blacks may as well put white crosses along the road because many black people were being killed on farms,” Mbalula said, invoking stark imagery often used in debates about farm killings.

He further accused the U.S. of propagating “genocide” claims against South Africa—a characterisation that independent fact-checking organizations have previously described as significantly overstated, noting that while farm murders are a serious concern, they occur within the context of the nation’s tragically high overall murder rate.

The ANC call has garnered institutional support. The South African National NGO Coalition (SANGOCO) and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) have jointly affirmed their backing.

In a statement, they declared, “we cannot allow America to bully us… we must have our own agenda,” signaling a alignment between the ANC and key civil society structures.