Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks
The South African government has called in the new US ambassador after he made what they described 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 Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.
Forum Speech Ignites Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the coastal town 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 taken as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's legal system.
He later retreated his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.
Government Responds Openly
At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Wider Bilateral Strains
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations disagreeing on 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 denouncing 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.
Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.