🔗 Share this article New US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments The ambassador's statements about a contentious societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations concerning an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue 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 lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''. He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the remarks. Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining 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 – comments that were interpreted as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary. He subsequently walked back 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''. Government Reacts Publicly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest inappropriate remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Broader Bilateral Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides disagreeing on trade, foreign policy 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 minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans. The South African government, meanwhile, 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 are not supported by credible proof. Frictions intensified last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
The ambassador's statements about a contentious societal issue have been criticised as ''undiplomatic'' by the government. The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations concerning an anti-apartheid chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue 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 lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''. He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the remarks. Business Meeting Speech Sparks Dispute On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining 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 – comments that were interpreted as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary. He subsequently walked back 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''. Government Reacts Publicly At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest inappropriate remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Broader Bilateral Strains Ties between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides disagreeing on trade, foreign policy 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 minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans. The South African government, meanwhile, 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 are not supported by credible proof. Frictions intensified last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.