🔗 Share this article New US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments The ambassador's comments about a contentious racial issue have been labeled as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a court decision 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 demarche – was issued 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 subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks. Forum Address Ignites Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting 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 – words that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's legal system. 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 Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Wider Bilateral Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances. 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 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 lack reliable evidence. Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's comments about a contentious racial issue have been labeled as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a court decision 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 demarche – was issued 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 subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks. Forum Address Ignites Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting 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 – words that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's legal system. 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 Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Wider Bilateral Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances. 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 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 lack reliable evidence. Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.