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

The Pretoria government has summoned the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' observations 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''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.

A official objection – 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 clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the comments.

Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed 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 demonstrating a disrespect 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 Reacts Publicly

At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest undiplomatic remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Broader Bilateral Tensions

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 commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances.

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 give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

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