New US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
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 in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously 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 provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.
Forum Speech Ignites Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's legal system.
He later retreated 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 Publicly
At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added 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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Wider Bilateral Tensions
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on trade, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
Trump has been vocally disapproving 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 allegations of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
Tensions intensified last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.