'Not a political appointment': Why BLSA believes Roelf Meyer the right person to reset relations with US

The choice of Roelf Meyer as South Africa's new ambassador to the US has won approval from many quarters, although the 78-year-old's latest role is also drawing criticism because of his age and the fact that he was a former official of the apartheid government.

Meyer is best known for serving as the National Party's chief negotiator during the 1993 multi-party talks that helped bring an end to apartheid, where he formed a close relationship with now-President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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The trained lawyer is also familiar with conflict-resolution work through his leadership of global consultancy, the In Transformation Initiative.

Among the groups lauding his appointment is Business Leadership SA (BLSA).

In conversation with Motheo Khoaripe (in for Stephen Grootes), BLSA CEO Busisiwe Mavuso explains why they think Meyer is the man to reset trade relations with Washington.

As the business community they really believe that, considering the poor state of relations with the US right now, South Africa needs someone with a track record in dialogue in this post.

"We need someone with a track record in reconciliation, in nation building... I think that would definitely give us confidence as a country, as the business community, as an economy. Roelf Meyer therefore will be well-placed to reset a very important relationship that we have with the US and strengthen it."

She also believes it is important that Meyer is not a political appointment.

"The wellbeing of South Africa is our core mission and we support any initiative that is going to protect and promote the economy, that is truly going to put it before politics... This is somebody who understands the economy and what we require to ensure that its critical levers are not actually compromised."

Mavuso says it should not be forgotten that there have been ten years of the souring of the relationship between the two countries, and we need what she terms "an adult in the room" as far as this conversation is concerned.

"You need someone who's level-headed, who is going to take on this commitment with the necessary maturity to stabilise and defend the trade relations between SA and the US... You don't want someone who's actually going to put petrol on the fire. If this was a political figure, I don't think they would have actually done the job."

To hear more from the BLSA chief, listen to the interview audio at the top of the article