🔗 Share this article New US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks The ambassador's statements about a divisive racial issue have been labeled as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has previously determined that it does not. A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – 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 foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks. Business Meeting Address Sparks Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One centered on the argument 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 judiciary. He later retreated his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Officials Responds Openly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship 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 Bilateral Tensions Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect 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 allegations of a targeted persecution have been largely debunked and are not supported by credible proof. Tensions intensified last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's statements about a divisive racial issue have been labeled as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has previously determined that it does not. A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – 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 foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks. Business Meeting Address Sparks Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One centered on the argument 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 judiciary. He later retreated his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Officials Responds Openly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship 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 Bilateral Tensions Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect 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 allegations of a targeted persecution have been largely debunked and are not supported by credible proof. Tensions intensified last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.