🔗 Share this article New US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments The ambassador's comments about a divisive racial issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''. He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks. Business Meeting Speech Sparks Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One centered on the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary. He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Government Reacts Openly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the partnership 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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Wider Diplomatic Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. Frictions deepened last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's comments about a divisive racial issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The Pretoria government has called in the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments regarding an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''. He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks. Business Meeting Speech Sparks Controversy On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One centered on the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary. He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Government Reacts Openly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the partnership 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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Wider Diplomatic Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. Frictions deepened last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.