New US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks
The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.
A formal protest – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.
Forum Address Sparks Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
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 legal system.
He subsequently walked back 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''.
Officials 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 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.
Broader Bilateral Tensions
Ties between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on trade, 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 reform plans.
The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Frictions intensified last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
