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

The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' comments concerning an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim the chant amounts to hate speech, although the highest court has ruled previously that it does not.

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

He provided a statement on Wednesday, and a representative of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments.

Business Meeting Address Sparks Controversy

On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.

One centered on the argument over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were interpreted as showing a disrespect for the country's legal system.

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''.

Government 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 recent inappropriate remarks.

Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the relationship between South Africa and the US was not one-sided. ''South African companies maintain a significant investment in the United States'', Lamola said.

''Mr Bozell expressed his regrets that these comments detracted from any impression that he wanted to work with us constructively'', stated Zane Dangor, the senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Wider Diplomatic Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides clashing over commerce, diplomacy and South Africa's international alliances.

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 reform plans.

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

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