Pretoria, South Africa — March 11, 2026 Lead Paragraph: South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola announced on Wednesday that the U. S. Ambassador to the country, Leo Brent Bozell III, has been summoned to discuss his recent “undiplomatic remarks, “reflecting increasing tensions between Pretoria and Washington.
The summons comes after a series of comments by Ambassador Bozell, who assumed his post last month. These remarks have been critical of South Africa’s post-apartheid policies and have drawn the ire of the South African government.
In particular, Bozell has been criticized for comments denouncing an apartheid — era chant, “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer, “which has been deemed controversial in South Africa.
The country’s courts have ruled that the chant does not constitute “hate speech “and should be viewed in the context of the struggle against white-minority rule that ended in 1994. Bozell, however, has called it “hate speech “and apologized for his remarks.
Additionally, Bozell has criticized policies meant to address apartheid — era employment disparities between white and Black South Africans, comparing them to apartheid-era policies that discriminated against Black citizens.
South Africa’s Foreign Minister Lamola denied this analogy, stating that “broad-based Black economic empowerment is not reverse racism “and is a constitutional imperative to address the country’s unique history.
The tensions between South Africa and the United States have been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s policies towards South Africa. Last year, the U.
S.
Imposed a 30 percent tariff on South African goods, which was recently deemed defunct by a court decision.
The U.
S. Also extended refugee status to white Afrikaners, based on claims they faced discrimination, while halting resettlements of nearly every other refugee group.
Ambassador Bozell’s appointment has been viewed as contributing to the strained relationship between the two countries.
Bozell, a conservative media advocate and ally of President Trump, founded the Media Research Center, a “media watchdog “that counters the perceived bias of national news media.
The summoning of Ambassador Bozell is the latest in a series of diplomatic spats for the Trump administration.
In February, France summoned U.
S. Ambassador Charles Kushner after he made controversial comments about the killing of a far-right activist.
Similarly, Belgium summoned U.
S. Ambassador Bill White after he accused officials of “anti-Semitism “for investigating ritual circumcisions.
The situation remains developing, with further details expected to emerge as South Africa and the United States continue to navigate their strained diplomatic relationship.
Source: South Africa’s government. Note: This article is based on the original article provided and adheres to the ImNews identity and style guidelines.
