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.

Dangor said Bozell reaffirmed that he wanted to work constructively with the South African government and that the US mission had issued a public apology on social media.

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.

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.

The US administration has repeatedly criticised South Africa’s black-led government, accusing it of pursuing policies that disadvantage white citizens and aligning its foreign policy with governments hostile to the US.

Trump has also criticised South Africa’s foreign policy positions, including its diplomatic engagement with Iran and its legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Lamola rejected claims that South Africa’s domestic policies discriminate against minorities and defended the government’s transformation agenda. “Broad-based black economic empowerment is not reverse racism,” he said.

The minister also defended the Expropriation Act, which has drawn criticism in US political circles. Lamola said the legislation does not undermine property rights and that expropriation without compensation remains a measure of last resort subject to strict procedural safeguards.

Those who oppose the law, he said, have already challenged it in South Africa’s courts. “Our constitutional system allows those grievances to be addressed through independent judicial processes,” Lamola said.

Despite the diplomatic friction, the government signalled that it intends to maintain a pragmatic relationship with Washington.

The US remains one of South Africa’s most important economic partners, with bilateral trade between the two countries estimated at about $15 billion annually.

South African companies also maintain investments in the US, particularly in sectors such as energy and chemicals, while South Africa remains a significant supplier of critical minerals used in global industrial supply chains and the energy transition.

Officials also sought to clarify speculation that Washington had presented South Africa with a list of political demands. 

Dangor said no formal letter outlining such demands had been received. Instead, the issues surfaced during discussions linked to trade negotiations between the two countries. “There was no formal ask for South Africa to withdraw from BRICS,” he said.

Lamola used the briefing to outline Pretoria’s response to rising geopolitical tensions, including the latest escalation in the Middle East.

South Africa reiterated its condemnation of what Lamola described as violations of international law following recent strikes involving the US, Israel and Iran.

At the same time, he said Iran’s response also breached international law by violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Gulf states. Lamola warned that the conflict could have global economic consequences, including rising inflation, energy insecurity and disruptions to food supply chains through fertiliser shocks.

He said he had spoken with counterparts in several Gulf countries, many of whom insisted they had not supported or facilitated the strikes on Iran. “They have made it clear that they did not aid or support those attacks and refused for their facilities to be used,” Lamola said.

The government is also monitoring the safety of South Africans in the region. Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said some South Africans had already returned home using commercial flights as airspace reopened in parts of the region. Others crossed land borders into neighbouring countries where flights were still operating.

Contingency plans remain in place should commercial travel become difficult. The briefing also highlighted South Africa’s continued focus on regional diplomacy within Africa.

Lamola said foreign ministers from the Southern African Development Community would meet this week to assess progress on the bloc’s 10-year regional integration framework.

The most recent assessment places regional integration within the bloc at about 21%. The upcoming discussions will focus on improving cross-border infrastructure, expanding one-stop border posts and strengthening regional trade coordination mechanisms.

Ministers will also discuss developing a regional strategy for critical minerals, an area of growing geopolitical competition as countries seek to secure supply chains for the global energy transition.

South Africa is expected to sign a tripartite agreement with Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo aimed at strengthening cooperation in this sector. For Pretoria, the developments underscore the increasingly complex diplomatic terrain it must navigate as geopolitical rivalries intensify.

Lamola said South Africa’s foreign policy remains anchored in non-alignment. “South Africa’s non-alignment does not entail a preference for any geopolitical bloc.” Instead, he said, the approach allows South Africa to engage with multiple partners while taking positions guided by international law and human rights.

“We remain steadfast in our resistance to being drawn into great power constellations,” Lamola said. “Our priority is a global governance system that is fair and inclusive.”