Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Remarks

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the Constitutional 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 department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.

Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One involved the debate 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 subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Officials 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 relationship between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''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 Diplomatic Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect the country's minority white population and criticising its land reform plans.

The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

Frictions intensified last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.