Minister Lamola calls US Ambassador Bozell to account for inflammatory statements.
Image: KRIS CONNOR / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed that new United States Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, has been démarched to explain his anti-diplomatic comments in public.
This comes after Bozell made remarks during his attendance at a BizNews conference in Hermanus, Western Cape, on Tuesday, where he made remarks about the "Kill the Boer" chant.
He had said, "I’m sorry; I don’t care what your courts say. It’s hate speech."
Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, Minister Lamola slammed Bozell's remarks saying it was unacceptable.
“While South Africa welcomes public diplomacy and the strengthening of bilateral ties, we emphasised that such engagements must remain consistent with established etiquette and international protocols. In this regard we have called in Ambassador Bozell to explain his anti-diplomatic remarks," he said.
Earlier, Bozell backtracked on his criticisms of the controversial "Kill the Boer" chant.
The US diplomat took to his official @USAmbRSA account on X to clarify his position, while also acknowledging the stance of the South African government on the matter.
Bozell, who had previously condemned the chant as hate speech, stated that his personal opinion remained aligned with many South Africans who view the song as harmful.
However, he reiterated that the US government respected the independence of South Africa’s judiciary, which had ruled that the chant did not meet the legal definition of hate speech.
He took to his official @USAmbRSA account to make the clarification: "I want to clarify that while my personal view—like that of many South Africans—is that 'Kill the Boer' constitutes hate speech, the US government respects the independence and findings of South Africa’s judiciary," Bozell wrote in his statement.
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