🔗 Share this article Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments The ambassador's statements about a divisive racial issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not. A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''. He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments. Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum 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 stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a lack of regard 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''. Government Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent inappropriate remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''Substantial South African capital is invested in the US economy'', 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 Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, foreign policy 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 white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised 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 most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's statements about a divisive racial issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not. A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''. He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments. Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum 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 stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a lack of regard 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''. Government Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent inappropriate remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''Substantial South African capital is invested in the US economy'', 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 Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, foreign policy 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 white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised 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 most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.