Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has previously determined that it does not.
A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.
Forum Speech Ignites Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect 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 ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.
Government Reacts Openly
At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added that the partnership between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect the country's minority white population and criticising its land reform plans.
The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.
Frictions deepened last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
