Roelf Meyer appointed as SA ambassador to US

Nearly a month after veteran politician and peace negotiator Roelf Meyer met United States (US) ambassador to South Africa Brent Bozell, the two have now become counterparts.

The Presidency confirmed on Tuesday night that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Meyer, a trained lawyer, as South Africa's new ambassador to the US.

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.

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.

During an interview with EWN in 2016, Meyer named his preferred candidate to succeed former statesman Jacob Zuma.

“From my knowledge, my experience of him, my working relationship with him, my understanding of him, Cyril would definitely be my preferred choice,” he said.

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Now nearly a decade later, Ramaphosa has turned to Meyer, a longtime ally and trusted confidant, tasking him with representing South Africa's interests in the US.

This is the second time Ramaphosa has shown confidence in Meyer's leadership, after appointing him as co-chairperson of the National Dialogue's eminent persons group in 2025.

Meyer told EWN he embraced his appointment, citing that he believes in the platform.

“If we're all sitting back and criticise, and do nothing about answering some of the criticism, then we can’t complain.”

However, the 78-year-old's latest role is already drawing sharp criticism because he was a former official of the apartheid government, with questions also being raised about his age.