Pretoria summons US ambassador as diplomatic strain grows with Washington

South Africa has summoned the United States ambassador to Pretoria after remarks criticising the country’s policies and appearing to question the authority of its courts, deepening a diplomatic rift that has widened since Donald Trump returned to the White House. International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed the move during a department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco) media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday, where he addressed current geopolitical developments. Lamola said the US ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, had been called in for a formal diplomatic demarche following comments the government described as “undiplomatic”.

“We took his comments with a very dim view, hence we called him in,” Lamola said. According to Dirco officials, the meeting was the second engagement between Bozell and South African officials since his arrival in the country last month. Dirco director-general Zane Dangor said the ambassador expressed regret during the meeting and apologised for remarks that appeared to undermine South Africa’s judiciary.

The diplomatic protest followed comments Bozell made on Tuesday during a meeting with business leaders where he criticised several South African policies, including its diplomatic ties with Iran and its affirmative action laws aimed at addressing racial inequality. His remarks also touched on the politically sensitive issue of a liberation struggle chant that South African courts have ruled does not constitute hate speech when used in a political context. The comments triggered political backlash and renewed debate about the limits of diplomatic engagement in domestic political issues.

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Lamola said South Africa had made it clear that its courts are independent institutions whose rulings must be respected. “Our courts are very independent,” he said. “They deal with matters through our constitutional processes.” The dispute comes amid growing tension between Washington and Pretoria. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Trump returned to the presidency earlier this year.

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