Durban — In an unexpected tweet by the United States of America ambassador to South Africa Reuben E Brigety II shared that he had just had a bunny chow in Durban and it was great.
Brigety was all smiles in a picture he shared along with the tweet on Wednesday afternoon, with a plated bunny chow and chips in front of him.
In his tweet, Brigety said: “I just had my first bunny chow in Durban! It was great, but now I need a nap!”
I just had my first Bunny Chow in Durban! It was great, but now I need a nap! pic.twitter.com/QwWmb8xV4p
— Reuben E. Brigety II (@ReubenBrigety) August 31, 2022
His food choice garnered a lot of reactions, some humorous:
I owe you a dinner of umngqusho and ugebe… (Samp and beans served steaming hot brisket)
— Bongani Bingwa IG/TikTok: Bonglez (@bonglez) August 31, 2022
Nobody going back to the office after that pic.twitter.com/FjHma14GdQ
Cancel afternoon meetings ambassador
— Modisaotsile (@Mdisaotsile1) August 31, 2022
Others welcomed the ambassador:
I love the way you are enjoying South Africa Bra Rubs... Big up to you and your family 🤜🤛
— Moeketsi Moleko (@OlamekxM) August 31, 2022
Welcome to KwaZulu-Natal ambassador 🇿🇦🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾.
Welcome Bra Rubs! Good choice of venue and meal 👍🏾
— Dodoliza (@dodoliza) August 31, 2022
Some questioned why he also had chips:
Bunny with fried chips that’s a cardinal sin 😂
— Christopher J Moodley (@ChrisJMoodley) August 31, 2022
You don't need the fries with your Bunny the result is office closed due to sleepiness
Bunny chow and fries, yho!
— Xoli (@XoliswaKeke) August 31, 2022
Brigety also met KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube in the morning and said it was an honour to meet her, the first woman to hold the post.
“She is very impressive and the USG looks forward to working with her team to expand trade and address other issues in KZN,” Brigety said in another tweet.
It was a great honor to meet this morning the new Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province, Hon. Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the first woman to hold this post. She is very impressive and the USG looks forward to working with her team to expand trade and address other issues in KZN. pic.twitter.com/j36ROJj4sQ
In another tweet, he also said that it was great to spend time with the amazing team of the US Consulate in Durban.
Great to spend time today with the AMAZING team of US Consulate Durban! pic.twitter.com/N9TTZ8cYwV
In February, US President, Joe Biden, nominated Brigety, who at the time was serving as an Adjunct Senior Fellow for African Peace and Security at the Council on Foreign Relations and as a Member of the Board of Counsellors of McLarty Associates in Washington, DC as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of South Africa.
Reacting to his nomination, Brigety posted on his Twitter page:
“I am deeply honoured to be officially nominated by President Joe Biden to be the next US Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. I look forward to the confirmation process in the United States Senate.”
Brigety previously served as the vice-chancellor and president of the University of the South and the mayor of Sewanee, Tennessee.
During the Obama-Biden Administration, Brigety held several roles in the State Department, including deputy assistant secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration, deputy assistant secretary for African Affairs, US Ambassador to the African Union and US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Earlier in his career, Brigety was the special assistant to the Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance at the US Agency for International Development, and the dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, the largest school of international affairs in the United States.
He is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.
Brigety earned a BSc from the US Naval Academy, an M.Phil in International Affairs, and a PhD in International Affairs from the University of Cambridge in England. He is the author of numerous publications and speaks Spanish, French, and Amharic.
Daily News