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

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

Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, sparked controversy by disagreeing with a legal ruling about the chant ''Kill The Farmer''. Some argue the chant constitutes hate speech, even though the Constitutional Court has ruled previously that it does not.

A official objection – 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 representative of the department of international relations subsequently stated the ambassador had expressed regret and said sorry for the comments.

Forum Speech Sparks Dispute

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

One involved 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 subsequently walked back 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 Responds Openly

At a media briefing on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent 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.

''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.

Broader Bilateral Strains

Relations between the US and South Africa have soured since US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two sides disagreeing on commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's strategic partnerships.

Trump has been openly critical 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 white genocide have been largely debunked and are not supported by credible proof.

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