Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks

The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has previously determined that it does not.

A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

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

Forum Address Ignites 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 stated 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 stance, 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 Openly

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

Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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.

''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', stated Zane Dangor, the senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Wider Diplomatic Tensions

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations disagreeing on trade, 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 white minority and denouncing its land redistribution 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 intensified last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.