Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments
The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has previously determined that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.
He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining 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 showing a lack of regard for the country's legal system.
He subsequently walked back his stance, 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 announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the partnership between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', Lamola said.
''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', stated Zane Dangor, the director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Broader Diplomatic Tensions
Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances.
Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's minority white population and denouncing its land reform plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Tensions deepened last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
