South Africa just tapped a new ambassador to the United States: Roelf Meyer. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because Meyer was a key player in negotiating the end of apartheid in the 1990s. Yes, the former apartheid-era minister will now be the face of South Africa in Washington, D.C.
It’s a move that signals South Africa is keen to mend some fences with the U.S. after what's been, shall we say, a spirited few years on the diplomatic front.
A Diplomatic Rollercoaster
South Africa hasn’t actually had an ambassador in Washington since March 2025. That's when the previous one, Ebrahim Rasool, was politely — or not so politely — shown the door by then-President Donald Trump. Rasool had, apparently, made some less-than-flattering remarks about the 'Make America Great Again' movement. Which, if you're going to criticize, is probably not the most diplomatic target in that particular administration.
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Start Your News DetoxUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio jumped into the fray, labeling Rasool a 'race-baiting politician' who harbored a deep dislike for the U.S. and Trump. Rubio's social media post even linked to a Breitbart story, just to really drive the point home. Rasool had also mused about a future U.S. where white people wouldn't be the majority. Apparently, that was also a bridge too far.
Last year, tensions escalated further when Trump froze most foreign aid to South Africa. This was partly due to South Africa taking Israel to the International Court of Justice over actions in Gaza, and also followed a new South African law aimed at addressing historical racial land ownership disparities. Because apparently that’s where we are now. And then, Trump launched a refugee program for white South Africans, claiming they faced government persecution. It's been a busy few years for the diplomatic corps.
Meyer's Unexpected Journey
Enter Roelf Meyer, 78. He’s a seasoned negotiator who, yes, served as a minister under the apartheid Nationalist Party government. But then, in the 1990s, he pivoted. He became instrumental in the talks between the Nationalist Party and the African National Congress (ANC) that ultimately dismantled segregation and white minority rule. Those talks led to South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994. Talk about a career change.
As chief negotiator, Meyer found himself across the table from none other than Cyril Ramaphosa, who was then an ANC negotiator and is now South Africa's current president. Meyer later joined the ANC himself in 2006. So, from opposing sides to the same party, and now, to representing his nation in a distinctly thorny diplomatic posting. Let's see if Washington is ready for a negotiator who's seen it all.
