Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman apologized repeatedly on Thursday for comments he made earlier this month about his fears of being boiled in a "pot of water" surrounded by dancing "natives" prior to a trip to Kenya.

Mr. Lastman spoke to news media in a snap press conference that was called to address comments he made to a freelance writer about his trip to Kenya, where the mayor was to promote Toronto's Olympic bid to African countries.

During the press conference, reporters battered the mayor with questions about whether he was a racist. They also asked him why he made the comments given he was the mayor of a multicultural city.

Mr. Lastman was visibly agitated by the questions, snapping at reporters, "What do you want from me except that I'm sorry."

After that, Mr. Lastman answered all questions with: "I'm sorry I made the remarks," and "I am again sorry. My comments were inappropriate."

When Mr. Lastman talked to freelance writer Chris Atchison last week, he said he wasn't looking forward to the trip to Mombasa, Kenya.

"What the hell do I want to go to a place like Mombasa," Mr. Lastman said. "Snakes just scare the hell out of me. I'm sort of scared about going there, but the wife is really nervous."

"I just see myself in a pot of water with all these natives dancing around me."

African sports officials responded with varying degrees of disgust and dismissal on Thursday to Mr. Lastman's published words.

Dan Moyo, a senior official of South Africa's national Olympic committee, said Thursday that Mr. Lastman's words will send a message to Olympic committees to question Toronto's strengths for hosting the Games.

"He should show some sensitivity and respect other cultures. If he is going to host other countries he should be sensitive to other beliefs and cultures," Mr. Moyo said.

But Olympic official, Kenyan IOC member Kipchoge Keino, dismissed the remarks as a personal fault of Mr. Lastman's, and not an indication of Toronto's ability to host the games.

"It's entirely the views of an individual. It has nothing to do with Toronto," Mr. Keino said. "It's his own opinion. Human beings always have failures and successes. We take it lightly."

Mr. Lastman tried to difuse the situation on Wednesday by issuing a written apology. He said the comments were off-the-cuff.

"This comment was made off the cuff and was never intended to offend anyone. I should not have made this comment," he said in a written apology.

Mr. Lastman said the Kenyan delegation was "hospitable ... and they treated us wonderfully during our stay. I wish to thank them for the kindness they extended to me during my visit."

But the apology did not diminish criticism coming from some of the mayor's own colleagues.

Toronto councillor Joe Mihevc is worried about the impact that Mr. Lastman's comments will have on Toronto's bid to host the 2008 Olympics.

Mr. Mihevc said he has long been optimistic about Toronto's chances of winning the July 13 vote in Moscow by the International Olympic Committee. That vote will decide which city gets to host the games, which out of the three front-runners.

"[But] this will certainly not help," he said. "Comments made like that play to the worst perceptions Torontonians may have. I hope the members of the International Olympic Committee recognize this as a faux-pas and not as an indication of where Toronto stands."

Mr. Mihevc said if Toronto does win the vote to host the Olympics, it will be a tight race against Beijing and other bidding cities. That means "every vote counts," and displeasing the African IOC members is not a good way to go about winning, he said.

Mr. Mihevc says the mayor's comments indicate that certain stereotypes were at play.

"I hope this has been a good lesson to all politicians know your community and sensitize yourself," Mr. Mihevc said. "Mel's never been known to think through his first perceptions. I hope this has been a good lesson for Mel."

As city councillor, Mr. Mihevc said he has encountered many African communities. He said the city is home to more than 100,000 Africa immigrants some of whom might take insult to Mr. Lastman's comments.

Mr. Lastman's comments about the Kenyans are just one of many politically incorrect and outrageous statements the mayor has made during his tenure as head of the amalgamated city. (The flamboyant politician and former businessman was previously the mayor of North York before the city merger.)

For example, after news reports emerged in 1999 that his wife, Marilyn, was held for alleged shoplifting, Mr. Lastman was so enraged that he threatened in public to kill a CBC reporter who was covering the story.

"If you don't leave my family alone, I'll kill you," he said.

That same year he attacked other news media, saying reporters lie and protect each other even when they are wrong.

"I don't think anybody protects anybody more than one reporter protects another reporter, even a lousy reporter, even reporters that lie," Mr. Lastman said at the time during a radio phone-in show on Talk 640. "A lot of them do lie, and columnists lie, and other reporters protect them."

With a report from the Canadian Press