Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments
The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, caused offence by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional 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 provided a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Speech Sparks Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting 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 demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.
He subsequently walked back his stance, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.
Officials Responds Publicly
At a media briefing 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. ''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 Bilateral Tensions
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
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, meanwhile, has condemned the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a white genocide have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.
Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.