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South Africa summoned U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III for the third time in nine months over what its Foreign Ministry described as “undiplomatic conduct,” as tensions between Pretoria and Washington continue over race policies, land reform and foreign policy.
Bozell was called to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, a senior South African official said, without specifying which remarks prompted the latest diplomatic protest.
“He was called in to explain his undiplomatic conduct,” the official said, adding that it was the third such demarche since Bozell took up his post in February.
“This is a record,” the official said.
The summons came as Bozell published an opinion piece accusing the South African government of hostility toward the U.S. and arguing that repeated talks had failed to resolve Washington’s concerns.
“At this point we find it a useless proposition to continue with endless dialogue leading nowhere,” Bozell wrote.
He said Washington had “run out of patience” with Pretoria over several issues, including its handling of the anti-apartheid chant “Kill the Boer,” rural crime and policies aimed at increasing Black ownership and participation in business.
Bozell said the South African government “does not want a constructive relationship with the United States,” adding: “We eagerly hope the South African government will rethink this hostility.”
South African officials, however, said differences between the two countries remained under discussion and that both sides were committed to resolving outstanding issues.
Relations have deteriorated over a range of disputes, including South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, its Black economic empowerment and land policies, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that white Afrikaners face persecution.
South Africa has rejected U.S. interference in what it considers its sovereign domestic policies and says measures addressing land and economic ownership are intended to tackle inequalities that remain decades after the end of white-minority rule.
Washington announced visa restrictions in September targeting South Africans it said promote “race-based discrimination, incite violence, or enable land confiscation without compensation.”
The Trump administration has also established a program to admit white Afrikaners who say they face persecution and rural crime in South Africa.
Bozell was first summoned by Pretoria in March, weeks after taking up his post, following remarks concerning similar domestic policy disputes.
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