Ramaphosa appoints Roelf Meyer as SA’s new ambassador to US

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States. (Photo by Gallo Images / Elizabeth Sejake / Sunday Times) President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States. “I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mr Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the US,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, toldReuters.

The 78-year-old Meyeris a seasoned negotiator who played a pivotal role in the transition to democracy in the 1990s and brings immense experience in bridging deep political divides. Meyer is famously known for his pivotal role as the chief negotiator for the white minority National Party government during the talks to end apartheid in the 1990s, where he worked closely with Ramaphosa, then the chief negotiator for the ANC. After South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, Meyer served in Nelson Mandela’s cabinet as Minister of Constitutional Development and Provincial Affairs.

Meyer also co-founded the United Democratic Movement (UDM) with Bantu Holomisa in 1997 before retiring from active politics in 2000. Since retiring, he has acted as a consultant for peace processes in regions such as Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Kosovo, and the Middle East. Last month, the newUS ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, met Meyer to discuss challenges between the US and South Africa.

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“A privilege to meet Roelf Meyer today and learn more about the work he did to help create South Africa’s democracy. Our countries share a commitment to dialogue, democratic values, and working together to address today’s challenges.”

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