Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks

The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

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

He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.

Business Meeting Address Sparks Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.

One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments 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''.

Officials Responds Publicly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent inappropriate remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''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 Tensions

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides 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 criticising 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 white genocide have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.

Tensions intensified last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.