South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has chosen Roelf Meyer to be the country's next ambassador to the United States, a development confirmed by the presidency on Tuesday.
"I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mr Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the U.S.," Vincent Magwenya, the president's spokesperson, told Reuters. The announcement names Meyer to a post that South Africa has left unfilled since its last ambassador in Washington was expelled.
The previous ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled last year after a dispute with the Trump administration, leaving the capital without a formal envoy in Washington for the intervening period.
Meyer, who is 78 years old, is best known for his role as a lead negotiator in talks during the 1990s that brought an end to white minority rule in South Africa. In those negotiations, he served as the chief representative of the white minority National Party government during the 1993 discussions intended to dismantle apartheid-era governance structures.
At the same negotiating table, Cyril Ramaphosa acted as the chief negotiator for the African National Congress, then the liberation movement. Following the transition, Meyer went on to serve as a minister in the multi-party government led by Nelson Mandela.
The appointment marks a return to diplomatic representation in Washington after the vacancy created by the expulsion of the previous ambassador. The presidency's confirmation offers a clear statement of intent to restore an ambassadorial presence in the United States.
Background
Roelf Meyer's public service record includes his central role in the 1993 talks to end white minority rule and subsequent service as a minister in the post-transition government. Those roles are cited in the presidency's announcement as part of the rationale for his selection.
What the announcement confirms
- President Ramaphosa has appointed Roelf Meyer as South Africa's ambassador to the United States.
- The presidency publicly communicated the appointment through a spokesperson's confirmation.
- The diplomatic post in Washington had been vacant since the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool last year.