Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Remarks
The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. 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 viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's legal system.
He subsequently walked back his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.
Government Reacts Openly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic 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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Wider Diplomatic Strains
Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.
Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of failing to protect the country's minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has condemned the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Frictions deepened last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
