🔗 Share this article New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks The ambassador's comments about a contentious societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations regarding an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a demarche – 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 subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments. Forum Address Ignites Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's legal system. He subsequently walked back his position, 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 Publicly At a media briefing 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 added that the partnership 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. Broader Bilateral Tensions Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on commerce, foreign policy 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 minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, 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. Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's comments about a contentious societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations regarding an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a demarche – 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 subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments. Forum Address Ignites Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's legal system. He subsequently walked back his position, 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 Publicly At a media briefing 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 added that the partnership 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. Broader Bilateral Tensions Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on commerce, foreign policy 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 minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, 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. Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.