Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments

The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.

A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.

He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the comments.

Business Meeting Address Ignites Dispute

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 involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's judiciary.

He subsequently walked back 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''.

Officials Reacts Openly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Broader 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, accusing it of failing to protect 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 largely debunked and are not supported by credible proof.

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