South Africa Appoints Veteran Negotiator Roelf Meyer as US Envoy

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer to be the country's next ambassador to the United States. The post had been vacant since 2025.

His appointment follows the expulsion of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, who was declared persona non grata in 2025 after the remarks he made during a webinar on US politics. Tensions escalated further when Trump then launched a refugee programme for white South Africans, whom the US president claims face government-led persecution in their home country.

Meyer is a key figure who helped negotiate the end of white minority rule in his country in the 1990s. He is set to take up the post as US ambassador once all protocols are complete in Washington, DC.

InFocus

Diplomatic reset, South Africa and the United States flags.

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