Recently Appointed US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments
The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an historical chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has previously determined that it does not.
A official objection – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Address Ignites Dispute
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 argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's judiciary.
He later retreated his position, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.
Officials Responds Publicly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', Lamola said.
''The ambassador conveyed his regret that his statements undermined the constructive partnership he seeks'', stated Zane Dangor, the senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Broader Bilateral Tensions
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.
Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of failing to protect the country's white minority and denouncing its land reform plans.
The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.
Tensions deepened last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
