🔗 Share this article New US Envoy to South Africa Summoned Over ''Inappropriate'' Comments Bozell's statements about a contentious racial issue have been labeled as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''. He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments. Business Meeting Address Ignites Controversy 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 centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary. He later retreated his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''. Government Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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. Broader Bilateral Tensions Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, 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 white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to give preference to 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 levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
Bozell's statements about a contentious racial issue have been labeled as ''undiplomatic'' by the authorities. The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an historical chant. Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously that it does not. A formal protest – known as a demarche – was issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''. He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and apologised for the comments. Business Meeting Address Ignites Controversy 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 centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were interpreted as showing a lack of regard for the country's judiciary. He later retreated his stance, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''. Government Responds Publicly At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced they had called the US ambassador to Pretoria to explain his latest inappropriate remarks. Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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. Broader Bilateral Tensions Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, 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 white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans. The South African government, in turn, has condemned the US decision to give preference to 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 levied the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.