Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments
The Pretoria government has called in the new US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid 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''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was issued 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 foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the remarks.
Business Meeting Speech Sparks Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town 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 – comments that were interpreted as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.
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 Responds Publicly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the partnership between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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 Diplomatic Tensions
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides clashing over commerce, diplomacy 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 white minority and denouncing its land redistribution plans.
The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.
Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
