🔗 Share this article New US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks The ambassador's comments about a contentious societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy 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 ruled previously that it does not. A official objection – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''. He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the remarks. Forum Speech Ignites Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One involved the debate 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''. Government Reacts Publicly 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. ''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', stated Zane Dangor, the director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Wider Bilateral Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on trade, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect the country's minority white population and criticising its land reform plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence. Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's comments about a contentious societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy 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 ruled previously that it does not. A official objection – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''. He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the remarks. Forum Speech Ignites Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the seaside resort of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing. One involved the debate 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''. Government Reacts Publicly 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. ''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', stated Zane Dangor, the director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Wider Bilateral Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations disagreeing on trade, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect the country's minority white population and criticising its land reform plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence. Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.