The South African government has summoned the recently arrived US ambassador after he made what they described as ''undiplomatic'' comments concerning an historical chant.
Leo Brent Bozell III, who assumed the role last month, sparked controversy by questioning a court decision about the chant ''Kill The Boer''. Certain groups claim 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 issued by the government, which stated it viewed Bozell's comments ''with a very dim view''.
He issued a statement on Wednesday, and a official of the foreign ministry later said the ambassador had conveyed remorse and said sorry for the remarks.
On Tuesday, Bozell spoke at a corporate forum in the coastal town of Hermanus, outlining five issues he said South Africa required addressing.
One centered on the debate over the chant. Bozell stated he did not care what the courts said – words that were taken as demonstrating a disrespect for the country's judiciary.
He subsequently walked back his position, saying he was ''ready to engage with South Africa in a positive manner'' and that ''Washington honors the autonomy of South Africa's courts''.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the South African government declared they had summoned the US ambassador to Pretoria to account for his recent undiplomatic remarks.
Minister Ronald Lamola added 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.
''The ambassador conveyed his regret that his statements undermined the constructive partnership he seeks'', stated Zane Dangor, the senior official of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Relations between the US and South Africa have soured after US President Donald Trump assumed the presidency last year, with the two nations clashing over commerce, foreign policy and South Africa's international alliances.
Trump has been openly critical of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's government, accusing it of failing to protect the country's white minority and criticising its land redistribution plans.
The South African government, in turn, has criticised the US decision to give preference to refugee applications from white Afrikaners, saying allegations of a targeted persecution have been widely discredited and are not supported by credible proof.
Tensions deepened last year when the US imposed the highest tariffs of any African country on South Africa.
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