New US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The South African government has called in the new US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though 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 viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.
He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments.
Forum Speech Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing a disrespect for the country's legal system.
He subsequently walked back his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.
Government Responds Openly
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest undiplomatic remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Wider Diplomatic Tensions
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after 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 openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Frictions deepened last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
