New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments
The Pretoria government has called in the new US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.
A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – was issued by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.
Business Meeting Speech Ignites Dispute
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
One involved the argument over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary.
He later retreated his position, 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 summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added that the partnership between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Broader Bilateral Tensions
Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.
Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding 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 allegations of a white genocide have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.
Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
