South Africa’s government has summoned the United States ambassador to the country to discuss his “undiplomatic remarks”, a sign of the deepening rift between Pretoria and Washington.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola announced that Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III had been summoned Wednesday, following a series of comments from the envoy, who took his post last month.
“We have called in the ambassador of the United States, Ambassador Bozell, to explain his undiplomatic remarks,” Lamola said.
The summons comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump continues to heap pressure on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government, based on claims that white Afrikaners face persecution in the country.
Last year, the Trump administration imposed a blanket 30 percent tariffs on South Africa, though a court decision recently rendered that rate defunct.
The US also extended refugee status to white Afrikaners, based on claims they faced “illegal or unjust discrimination”, even as it halted resettlements of nearly every other refugee group.
South Africa’s government leaders, including top Afrikaner officials, have acknowledged that crime remains high in the country, but they have rejected that notion that white Afrikaners are being specifically targeted. They have noted that Black residents face a higher crime rate.
More Explore: South Africa : Stakeholders Slam Draft Local Governance White Paper at Tense Consultation
