Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Called In Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments

The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they termed as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, caused offence by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

A formal protest – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.

He provided a clarification on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.

Business Meeting Speech Ignites Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa required addressing.

One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were interpreted as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary.

He subsequently walked back his stance, 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 Openly

At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent inappropriate remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola added 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 Tensions

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with failing to protect the country's minority white population and denouncing its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited 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.