Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Remarks
The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.
He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.
Forum Address Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining 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 – comments that were interpreted as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.
He subsequently walked back his stance, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.
Officials Reacts Publicly
At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent undiplomatic remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the partnership between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''Substantial South African capital is invested in the US economy'', Lamola said.
''The ambassador conveyed his regret that his statements undermined the constructive partnership he seeks'', stated Zane Dangor, the director-general 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 nations disagreeing on trade, diplomacy 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 denouncing its land reform plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has condemned 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 deepened last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.