Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an historical chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has previously determined that it does not.
A official objection – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.
He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Address Ignites Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One involved the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's legal system.
He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.
Officials Reacts Publicly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added that the partnership between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''Substantial South African capital is invested in the US economy'', Lamola said.
''The ambassador conveyed his regret that his statements undermined the constructive partnership he seeks'', stated Zane Dangor, the senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Wider Bilateral Strains
Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.
Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of failing to protect the country's white minority and criticising its land reform plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has condemned the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
Tensions intensified last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.