New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Remarks
The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.
Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One centered on the argument over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were interpreted as showing a disrespect for the country's judiciary.
He subsequently walked back his position, 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 Reacts Publicly
At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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.
Broader Diplomatic Tensions
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, 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 white minority and criticising its land reform plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Tensions intensified last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
