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

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, caused offence by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim 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 viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.

Forum Address Sparks Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One involved the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's legal system.

He later retreated his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Officials Reacts Publicly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', 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 Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated 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 not safeguarding the country's white minority and denouncing its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution 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.