PRETORIA, March 11 (Reuters) – South Africa’s government called in the new U.S. ambassador to the country to explain himself over “undiplomatic remarks,” foreign affairs minister Ronald Lamola said on Wednesday.
* Conservative activist and writer Leo Brent Bozell III arrived in Pretoria as U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy lastmonth. * Diplomatic relations between the two countries havesoured during Trump’s second term in office. * Trump has criticised South Africa’s Black EconomicEmpowerment policies to address the legacy of centuries ofracial inequality and its genocide case at the World Courtagainst Israel, a close U.S. ally. Israel strongly rejects SouthAfrica’s genocide case over its military campaign in Gaza. * At a conference on Tuesday, Bozell waded intocontroversy by arguing that South African liberation chant “Killthe Boer” amounts to hate speech, despite local courts rulingthat it does not. * Bozell said: “I’m sorry, I don’t care what your courtssay. It’s hate speech.” * Lamola told a press conference that Bozell’s commentswere viewed as undermining the country’s judiciary and history. * Another senior foreign affairs official Zane Dangor saidBozell had “apologised and expressed regret … in terms of whathappened yesterday”. * Lamola said Bozell’s “role as a guest is to support usto build one nation, … he must not take us back to a polarizedsociety along racial lines.” * South Africa seeks to project a non-aligned foreignpolicy stance. Trump has accused it of taking “aggressivepositions” towards Washington and its allies.
(Reporting by Anathi Madubela and Sfundo Parakozov in Johannesburg; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Alexander Winning and David Gregorio)
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