South Africa summons new US envoy as diplomatic rift over White Afrikaners deepens

South Africa's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it has summoned the US ambassador to the country as a diplomatic rift between the two nations over the foreign policy of the US President Donald Trump's administration deepens.

In the past, Trump has claimed that the South African government is 'anti-white', claiming the White farmers face discrimination. However, South Africa has often denied the allegation.

Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III was summoned on Wednesday, after speaking at a meeting of business leaders on Tuesday. During that event, he challenged the South African government over its diplomatic ties with Iran and its affirmative action laws that advance opportunities for Black people ahead of other races.

The rift has been consistent between the former allies since Trump returned to the office. The matter is concerning since the ties between the two nations have plunged to their lowest point since the end of apartheid, or white minority rule, in 1994. Trump has been critical of South Africa's Black-led government.

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Bozell leaves a mark

Bozell, a conservative activist, was appointed by Trump for the role in Pretoria last month. In his first detailed public comments on the US-South Africa ties since arriving, Bozell said South Africa should change some of its affirmative action laws that were designed to redress the inequalities of South Africa's decades of racial segregation under apartheid.

He went on to compare the laws to race laws that oppressed Black people during apartheid. The American envoy also called for changing a land law that allows the South African government to expropriate land without compensation in some circumstances.

"While South Africa welcomes active public diplomacy and the strengthening of bilateral ties, we emphasise that such engagements must remain consistent with established diplomatic etiquette and international protocols," Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told a press conference. "In this regard, we have called in the ambassador of the United States, Ambassador Bozell, to explain his undiplomatic remarks," he added.

Foreign ministry director-general Zane Dangor said Bozell met with South African officials and the ambassador "apologised and expressed regret." However, there was no immediate comment on the matter from the American embassy.

Trump and his tussle with the South African government

Trump's central allegation against the South African government is his baseless claim that minority white farmers are being targeted in a campaign of violence and killings. However, some conservative white Afrikaner groups denied the Trump administration's claims.

Last year, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those claims at a dramatic White House meeting that underlined the strained relationship. Amid the backlash, Bozell did backtrack on one comment earlier Wednesday.

The Trump administration has branded the chant as anti-white hate speech. Bozell reiterated that view Tuesday: "I am sorry, I don't care what your courts say, it's hate speech." He said in an X post on Wednesday, his comment reflected his personal view and "the U.S. government respects the independence and findings of South Africa's judiciary."

Meanwhile, Washington has taken other extraordinary steps against South Africa — its biggest trading partner in Africa — including expelling its ambassador to Washington last year and barring South Africa from meetings of the Group of 20 rich and developing nations in the US this year.