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

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

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

He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments.

Forum Address Sparks Controversy

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

One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect 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''.

Officials Responds Publicly

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

Minister Ronald Lamola added that the partnership between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', 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 Bilateral Tensions

Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over 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 failing to protect the country's white minority and denouncing its land reform plans.

The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to prioritise refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

Tensions intensified last year when the US levied the most severe import duties of any African country on South Africa.