Recently Appointed US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments

The Pretoria government has summoned the new US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations concerning an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, 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 official objection – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.

He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the remarks.

Business Meeting Speech Ignites Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, presenting five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – words that were interpreted 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 Reacts Publicly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his latest undiplomatic remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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.

Broader Bilateral Tensions

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over trade, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances.

Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of not safeguarding the country's minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, meanwhile, has condemned the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying claims of a white genocide have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

Tensions deepened last year when the US levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.