New US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Remarks

The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning 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''. Certain groups claim the chant constitutes hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was issued by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.

He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.

Business Meeting Speech Sparks Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One centered on the argument 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 judiciary.

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''.

Officials Responds Openly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest undiplomatic 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.

''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', stated Zane Dangor, the senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Broader Bilateral Tensions

Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

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 denouncing 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 white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.