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

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – 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 representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.

Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.

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

He later retreated his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.

Officials Responds Publicly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared 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 Tensions

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances.

Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to give preference to 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 levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.