South Africa Appoints Apartheid-Era Negotiator Roelf Meyer as New US Ambassador Amid Diplomatic Reset
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer, a former apartheid-era politician and key negotiator in the country’s democratic transition, as the new ambassador to the United States.
The announcement was confirmed by the presidency, which said the appointment would take effect immediately.
South Africa has been without a top envoy in Washington since the expulsion of its previous ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, last year following controversial remarks about US President Donald Trump. The incident further strained already fragile relations between the two nations, which have deteriorated since Trump returned to office.
President Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, confirmed Meyer’s appointment, describing it as part of efforts to stabilise diplomatic relations with the US.
Roelf Meyer, 78, played a significant role in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy in the 1990s. He served as a chief negotiator for the National Party during talks that ended white-minority rule, working closely with African National Congress representatives, including Ramaphosa himself.
Despite representing opposing sides at the time, Meyer and Ramaphosa developed a working relationship that later evolved into a long-standing friendship, including participation in South Africa’s national dialogue initiatives in recent years.
Meyer served as constitutional affairs minister in the final apartheid government and later joined the Government of National Unity after Nelson Mandela became president in 1994. He would go on to leave government in 1996, co-found the United Democratic Movement, and later align himself with the ANC.
His appointment is being viewed as a strategic diplomatic move as South Africa seeks to rebuild and stabilise relations with Washington.
