New US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments

The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously 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 subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.

Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.

One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing 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 ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.

Government Reacts Publicly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent inappropriate remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship 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.

Broader Bilateral Tensions

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 trade, foreign policy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

Tensions intensified last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.