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

The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously that it does not.

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

He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments.

Business Meeting Speech Sparks Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

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

He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.

Officials Reacts Openly

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 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.

''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 soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, 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 criticising its land reform 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 targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

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