JOHANNESBURG – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed veteran politician Rolf Meyer as the country's ambassador to the United States, in what is widely seen as an effort to ease diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Meyer was Minister of Defense from 1991 to 1992 under the white minority government of former President FW de Klerk's National Party. He later was the chief negotiator in the talks that ended apartheid and in 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected as the country's first black and democratically elected leader. Meyer served as Minister of Constitutional Development in Mandela's cabinet from 1994 to 1996.
Mayer's appointment comes during a period of strained relations between South Africa and the administration of US President Donald Trump, which expelled former ambassador Ibrahim Rasool after criticizing Trump.
The outcome put pressure on Ramaphosa to appoint an ambassador who would be acceptable to the Trump administration while relations remain tense.
Trump has hit out at South Africa and cut off all financial aid after accusing the government of allowing “white genocide” against the white Afrikaner minority group, claiming they are being racially targeted and killed. Trump implemented a program offering immigration and asylum to white Africans who felt oppressed in South Africa.
“I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mr. Rolf Meyer as South Africa's Ambassador to the United States,” Ramaphosa spokesman Vincent Magwenya said in a message to The Associated Press.
The appointment of Mayer, himself an African citizen, comes a week after Ramaphosa accepted Leo Brent Bozell III as the new US ambassador to South Africa.
Bozell, a conservative activist appointed by Trump, had a tense start after being subpoenaed by South Africa's foreign ministry in March. Speaking at a meeting of business leaders, Bozell challenged the South African government over its diplomatic relations with Iran and affirmative action laws, which he said would increase opportunities for black people ahead of other races.
Professor John Stremlau, an expert on US-Africa relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, called Mayer “the right person at the right time”.
Stremlau said, “He is an excellent and experienced negotiator who has negotiated agreements not only in South Africa, but also in many other places under very difficult circumstances.” He said Mayer needed to “stabilize relations” between the nations.
“But it will be difficult for them because Trump's executive orders last year put forward a racist agenda against South Africa's black majority, cutting off all financial aid to them and offering refugee status to Africans,” Stremlau said.
The two countries are also at odds over South Africa's decision to file a case in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Trump boycotted the G20 leaders' summit hosted by South Africa in 2025 and has not invited South Africa to the US-hosted G20 meetings in Miami in December.