Listen here.Six months after warning a Hermanus room full of business leaders that Washington's patience was wearing thin, US Ambassador Brent Bozell returned to BizNews to explain what happened next. Five asks, a 15-day deadline and a six-page reply that, in his words, answered none of them. The result: visa bans on unnamed officials, every item on the negotiating table withdrawn, and a warning that there is more to come. Bozell told Alec Hogg how close the two countries came to a deal, what he offered to fund, why he says he never called for Thabo Mbeki to mediate, and why he believes Pretoria is wrong if it thinks it can simply wait out Donald Trump. He also had a message for South African business: the next move is theirs to push for..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.