New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments
The Pretoria government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has previously determined 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 statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.
Forum Speech Sparks Controversy
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 demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.
He later retreated his stance, 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 Reacts Publicly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship 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 Strains
Ties between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.
Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's minority white population and criticising its land reform plans.
The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
