Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks

The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning 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 Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

A official objection – known as a demarche – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments.

Forum Speech Sparks Dispute

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

One centered on the argument over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.

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''.

Officials Responds Publicly

At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola added 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.

''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.

Broader Bilateral Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.

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

The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.

Frictions intensified last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.