US EditionRoelf Meyer: South Africa Names Apartheid-Era Politician as New Ambassador to the US
The 78-year-old veteran negotiator replaces Ebrahim Rasool after South Africa lacked a Washington envoy since his expulsion last year.
- On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed veteran negotiator Roelf Meyer as South Africa's ambassador to the United States. The Presidency announced the move, which Bloomberg News had previously reported.
- The 78-year-old Meyer is a seasoned negotiator who played a pivotal role in the 1990s democratic transition while representing the National Party. He later served in Nelson Mandela's cabinet and co-founded the United Democratic Movement.
- South Africa has lacked an ambassador in Washington since The Trump administration expelled Ebrahim Rasool last year. Relations deteriorated after the United States suspended aid and accused South Africa of conducting what it termed a "white genocide."
- Last month, Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III met with Meyer to discuss bilateral challenges amid G20-related disagreements and ongoing diplomatic friction. The meeting signaled ongoing engagement despite tensions.
- Drawing on extensive experience in international peace processes, Meyer has worked in Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Kosovo, and the Middle East. Officials hope his expertise in bridging deep political divides will help repair relations with the United States.
38 Articles
38 Articles
South Africa Appoints Veteran Afrikaner Politician as Ambassador to US
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer—who was the apartheid-era government’s chief negotiator during talks to end white rule in the early 1990s—as his country’s ambassador to the United States. Meyer, 78, will replace Ebrahim Rasool, who was expelled in March 2025 and was accused by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of being a “race-baiting politician who hates America.” “I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa…
South Africa has appointed its next ambassador to the United States. It is Roelf Meyer, a key figure in the transition from apartheid to democracy in the 1990s. The announcement of this appointment fell on Tuesday 14 April. With this choice, Pretoria responds to the American administration, which accuses the South African government of persecuting its white minority.
Pretoria has appointed an experienced navigator as the new ambassador to Washington. He has a lot to do, because the list of diplomatic conflicts is long.
South Africa turns to Afrikaner as ambassador to US
The NewsSouth Africa appointed Roelf Meyer, a central figure in the negotiations that ended apartheid, as its next ambassador to the US, betting that his stature can help restore a frayed diplomatic relationship.The posting, confirmed by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, places one of the country’s most recognizable Afrikaner political elders at the center of a foreign policy challenge that has vexed Pretoria for more than a year.South A…
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