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

The Pretoria government has called in the recently arrived US ambassador following he made what they termed as ''undiplomatic'' observations regarding an anti-apartheid chant.

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role in recent weeks, caused offence by questioning a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. 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 viewed Bozell's comments ''very unfavorably''.

He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had conveyed remorse and apologised for the comments.

Forum Address Sparks Controversy

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

One involved the debate over the chant. Bozell remarked he did not care what the courts said – comments that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's legal system.

He later retreated his position, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''the US government respects the independence of South Africa's judiciary''.

Officials Reacts 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 added that the relationship between South Africa and the US was mutual. ''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 Diplomatic Tensions

Ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency 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 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 claims of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.

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