Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments

The Pretoria government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. 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 viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.

Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing.

One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.

He later retreated his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Officials Responds Openly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent undiplomatic remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola added that the partnership between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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.

Wider Bilateral Strains

Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

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