President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer to be South Africa’s next ambassador to the United States.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya had confirmed the appointment.
Meyer, 78, is a former Defence Minister and a key negotiator in South Africa’s transition to democracy.
His appointment comes after the position was left vacant since 14 March 2025, following the expulsion of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, who was declared persona non grata after criticizing the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Following Rasool’s expulsion, Ramaphosa appointed former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, as a special envoy to the US in April to manage bilateral, trade and diplomatic priorities while the permanent position remained vacant.
However, the US government denied Jonas a diplomatic visa and rejected his credentials, citing past critical remarks in which he reportedly called Trump a “racist”, “homophobe”, and a “narcissistic right-winger” in 2020.
*More to follow
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