The South African government has summoned the new US ambassador after he made “undiplomatic” comments about an anti-apartheid slogan.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who began the role last month, took offense by disagreeing with a legal ruling regarding the Kill the Boar chant. Some say the chant amounts to hate speech, although the Constitutional Court has previously ruled that this is not the case.
A formal protest was issued by the government – known as a demarche – which said it took Bozel's comments “in a very poor light”.
He issued a clarification on Wednesday and a State Department representative later said the ambassador regretted the comments and apologized.
On Tuesday, Bozell addressed a business meeting in the coastal city of Hermanus, where he presented five issues he said South Africa needed to fix.
There was a debate regarding chanting a mantra. Bozell said he didn't care what the courts say – comments that were taken as showing a lack of respect for the country's legal system.
He later backtracked, saying he was “willing to work constructively with South Africa” and that “the US government respects the independence of the South African judiciary”.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government announced that it has summoned the US Ambassador to Pretoria to clarify his recent undiplomatic comments.
Ronald Lamola said relations between South Africa and the United States are not one-sided. “South African companies maintain significant investments in the United States,” Lamola said.
Zane Dangar, director general of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, later said, “Mr Bozel regrets that these comments have spoiled the impression that he wanted to work constructively with us.”
Relations between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since US President Donald Trump took office last year, with the two sides clashing over trade, diplomacy and South Africa's strategic partnership.
Trump has been openly critical of the government of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing it of failing to protect the country's white minority and criticizing his land reform plans.
Meanwhile, the South African government has criticized the US decision to prioritize refugee applications from white Africans, saying claims of white genocide have been widely discredited and lack credible evidence.
Last year, tensions deepened when the US imposed the highest tariffs on South Africa compared to any African country.
By BBC News