Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Remarks
The South African government has called in the new US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.
A official objection – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it took 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 conveyed remorse and said sorry for the comments.
Forum Speech Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining 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 – words that were taken as showing a lack of regard for the country's legal system.
He later retreated 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''.
Officials Reacts Openly
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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Broader Bilateral Strains
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's white minority and criticising its land reform plans.
The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims 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.
