Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, sparked controversy by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant constitutes hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
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 Address Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating 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''.
Government Responds Publicly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship 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 after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has condemned the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
