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

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

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by disagreeing with a court decision 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 lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.

Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining 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 – comments that were taken 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''.

Government Reacts Publicly

At a press conference 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 mutual. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', 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 Diplomatic Strains

Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on trade, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.

Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of 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 give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.