New US Ambassador to South Africa Called In Over ''Undiplomatic'' Comments

The Pretoria government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an historical chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.

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

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 comments.

Forum Address Sparks Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining 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 showing 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 ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Officials Reacts Openly

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

Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship 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 Bilateral 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 commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances.

Trump has been vocally disapproving of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of failing to protect the country's minority white population and criticising its land redistribution plans.

The South African government, meanwhile, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been largely debunked and lack reliable evidence.

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