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

The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.

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

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

Forum Address Ignites Controversy

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

One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell stated 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 ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Government Responds Openly

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

Minister Ronald Lamola added that the partnership between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''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 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 assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on trade, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

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