New 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 ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an historical 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''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has previously determined that it does not.

A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.

Business Meeting Address Sparks Controversy

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

One involved the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's judiciary.

He later retreated 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 press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned 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 not one-sided. ''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 Tensions

Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's white minority and denouncing 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 targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

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