The Department of International Relations and Cooperation will on Monday summon the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America in Pretoria‚ Jessye Lapenn‚ following the recent disturbing comments attributed to US President Donald Trump.
The department said it would provide Lapenn with an opportunity on Monday to explain the statement made by Trump last week that African countries‚ alongside Haiti and El Savador‚ constituted "sh**holes" from where migrants into the United States were undesirable.
The department described the action it intended to take as a demarche.
Diplomatic demarches are used by governments to gather information from a foreign government. Governments may also use a demarche to protest or object to actions by a foreign government.