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

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the highest court has ruled previously that it does not.

A official objection – known as a diplomatic note – was lodged by the government, which stated it took Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.

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

Forum Speech Ignites Dispute

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

One centered on the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a lack of regard for the country's judiciary.

He later retreated his position, saying he was ''willing to work with South Africa constructively'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.

Officials Reacts Openly

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

Minister Ronald Lamola noted 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 senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Wider Diplomatic Tensions

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

Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, charging it with not safeguarding the country's white minority 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 targeted persecution have been widely discredited and lack reliable evidence.

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