🔗 Share this article New US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments The ambassador's comments about a contentious racial issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''. He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the comments. Business Meeting Speech Ignites Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were interpreted as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary. He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Government Reacts Openly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest inappropriate 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. Broader Bilateral Strains Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since 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 minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. Tensions intensified 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 criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''. He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the comments. Business Meeting Speech Ignites Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were interpreted as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary. He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Government Reacts Openly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest inappropriate 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. Broader Bilateral Strains Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since 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 minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. Tensions intensified last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.