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

The South African government has called in the new US ambassador following he made what they described as ''unacceptable'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously determined that it does not.

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

He issued a clarification on Wednesday, and a representative of the department of international relations later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the remarks.

Business Meeting Speech Ignites Dispute

On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a business meeting 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 demonstrating 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''.

Officials 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 added 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.

Wider Bilateral Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, diplomacy 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 minority white population and criticising its land reform plans.

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

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