South Africa summoned U.S. Ambassador Bowser for the third time, criticizing his behavior as inconsistent with diplomatic principles

On April 8, 2026, South African President Ramaphosa (right) took a photo with the new US Ambassador to South Africa Bowser (left) at the presentation of credentials ceremony at the presidential residence.

A senior official from South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO, South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) said on the evening of the 29th that the department had summoned US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III for the third time that day on the grounds that his behavior was "incompatible with diplomatic principles", but did not specify what kind of behavior it was.

"We can confirm that we have submitted a diplomatic note to Ambassador Bowser. This is his third diplomatic note since he took office nine months ago," the senior official told Reuters. A "demarche" refers to a formal diplomatic protest from one government to another.

The U.S. Embassy in South Africa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. State Department said it would respond later.

Relations between the two countries have been strained due to U.S. President Trump's repeated false claims that white South Africans face systemic persecution. On average, white South Africans are wealthier and have higher employment rates than black South Africans; as for the South African government policies criticized by Trump, they are intended to address racial inequality stemming from South Africa's apartheid era.

Bowser, a conservative and author, arrived in Pretoria as the new South African ambassador in February this year. He was summoned by the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the first time due to inappropriate remarks only a few weeks after taking office. In recent interviews with local media in South Africa, Bowser took a tougher and more impatient tone, saying that the South African authorities failed to fully respond to Washington's concerns about the persecution of white South Africans, and hinted that further pressure may be exerted.

Two weeks ago, Washington announced restrictions on visas for some South Africans to visit the United States.