New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has previously determined that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing a lack of regard for the country's legal system.
He later retreated 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 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 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
Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, 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 prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
Frictions intensified last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
