Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks

The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived 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 disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest 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 provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the comments.

Business Meeting Address Ignites Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One involved the argument over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's legal system.

He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' 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 announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Broader Diplomatic Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, foreign policy 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, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

Frictions deepened last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.