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

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously that it does not.

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

He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.

Forum Address Sparks Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's legal system.

He later retreated his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' 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 called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest undiplomatic remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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.

Broader Diplomatic Tensions

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, 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 redistribution 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 intensified last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.