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

The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional 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 representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the remarks.

Forum Address Ignites 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 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 stance, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Government Responds Openly

At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain 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.

''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', 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 deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.

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

The South African government, meanwhile, 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.

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