South Africa has appointed Roelf Meyer, a former minister and negotiator in the apartheid government, as the new ambassador to the United States in a move by President Cyril Ramaphosa to mend its strained ties with Washington.Meyer, 78, replaces Ebrahim Rasool, who was expelled as South Africa’s ambassador to the US in March last year after he accused Donald Trump of leading a global “white supremacist” movement. South Africa has gone without diplomatic representation in Washington, DC, since then.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listMeyer is a member of the white Afrikaner community, which led the apartheid government in South Africa for decades. Trump has accused the South African government of racial discrimination against Afrikaners.So who is Meyer and will his appointment help improve ties between the two countries following a turbulent year?Why have ties between the US and South Africa deteriorated?The ties between the US and South Africa have deteriorated since Trump came to power in January 2024.The US president has criticised the affirmative action policies to address inequalities that have continued since the end of the apartheid era. Trump has falsely claimed that there is a “white genocide” in South Africa. His administration has offered expedited citizenship for white Afrikaners “escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination”.South Africa’s move to file a case of genocide against US ally Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has also angered Washi …
