JOHANNESBURG, April 7 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will formally receive the credentials of U.S. Ambassador-designate Leo Brent Bozell III on Wednesday, a move that may signal a tentative easing of bilateral tensions.

According to a statement from the presidency, Bozell will present his formal credentials in Pretoria on Wednesday morning alongside envoys from 19 other nations.

Bozell, a long-time critic of South Africa's ruling African National Congress, arrived in the country in February and initially presented his documents to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Diplomatic friction has persisted since Bozell's arrival. Last month, South Africa's Foreign Ministry issued a formal diplomatic protest to the envoy to explain his "undiplomatic remarks" regarding a domestic court ruling, which Pretoria viewed as a disregard for its judicial sovereignty.

U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Bozell in March 2025, shortly after expelling South Africa's Ambassador to the United States Ebrahim Rasool over his public criticism of Washington.

South Africa has not yet appointed a successor to Rasool.

Since the start of Trump's second presidential term in 2025, relations have deteriorated sharply due to growing divergences on major international issues, including Pretoria's 2023 case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

The U.S. administration has also accused South Africa of persecuting its white minority, a claim rejected by Pretoria, while Washington has imposed steep tariffs on South African exports and suspended aid. ■