politics
April 16, 2026
South Africa picks ex-apartheid-era minister Roelf Meyer as US envoy
Veteran politician Roelf Meyer has been picked as South Africa’s ambassador to the US, following the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool
TL;DR
- Roelf Meyer, a veteran politician known for his role in ending apartheid, has been appointed South Africa's ambassador to the US.
- The previous ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled in March 2025 after criticizing the Trump administration.
- Relations between South Africa and the US have deteriorated due to disagreements over foreign policy, domestic laws like land expropriation, and the Gaza war.
- The new US ambassador, Leo Brent Bozell III, has also questioned South Africa's policies and recently faced scrutiny over his remarks on an anti-apartheid chant.
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