New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments

The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant constitutes hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

A official objection – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.

Forum Speech Sparks Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed 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 stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as showing a lack of regard for the country's legal system.

He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' 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 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.

''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 Bilateral Tensions

Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, 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 minority white population and criticising its land reform plans.

The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been largely debunked and are not supported by credible proof.

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