Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an historical chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, caused offence by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously that it does not.
A official objection – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments.
Forum Address Sparks Controversy
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as showing a disrespect 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''.
Officials Responds Publicly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Wider Bilateral Strains
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's white minority and criticising 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 white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Frictions intensified last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
