🔗 Share this article New US Ambassador to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Remarks The ambassador's statements about a divisive societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' observations concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously 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 issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments. Forum Speech Ignites Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix. One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary. He later retreated his position, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Officials Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Broader Diplomatic Strains Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's statements about a divisive societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' observations concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously 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 issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments. Forum Speech Ignites Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix. One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary. He later retreated his position, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''. Officials Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his recent undiplomatic remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola added that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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 director-general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Broader Diplomatic Strains Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations disagreeing on commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances. Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence. Frictions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.