South Africa’s foreign affairs ministry called in US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III on Tuesday for a third time over what it described as “undiplomatic conduct”, a senior government official told Reuters, but did not elaborate on what the conduct was.
“We can confirm that we demarched Ambassador Bozell. The third demarche since he started his duties nine months ago,” a senior official at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) told Reuters late on Tuesday.
A demarche is a formal diplomatic protest from one government to another.
A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Bozell went to DIRCO to discuss bilateral ties.
“We are not interested in diplomatic manoeuvring, procedural delays or dialogue for dialogue’s sake,” the spokesperson added.
Relations between the two countries have been strained by US President Donald Trump’s repeated false claims that white South Africans face systemic persecution.
White South Africans are, on average, wealthier and more likely to be employed than Black South Africans. The government policies criticized by Trump are intended to address inequalities that persist from the apartheid era.
Bozell, a conservative activist and writer who arrived in Pretoria as Trump’s envoy in February, was first called in within weeks of taking up the post over remarks that DIRCO said undermined South Africa’s judiciary and historical context.
In recent interviews with local media, the ambassador has adopted a firmer and impatient tone, saying that Pretoria had not adequately addressed Washington’s concerns and that further pressure could follow.
Two weeks ago, the US unveiled visa restrictions on some South Africans.
South Africa has maintained a willingness to engage in talks, but said its sovereignty must be respected and that it would not compromise on domestic priorities such as addressing historical injustices.
“The issues related to the bilateral relations between the two countries are a subject of ongoing discussions. There is commitment from both sides to resolve the outstanding matters,” the DIRCO official said.
The State Department spokesperson said: “The ball is now squarely in the government of South Africa’s court to outline the relationship it wants with the United States.”
