Ramaphosa’s top official in the United States meets Trump
South Africa’s Ambassador to the US, Roelf Meyer, has met with US President Donald Trump, with the legendary statesman facing a tough task to restore relations between South Africa and the US.
Meyer is a key ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa and was named the next ambassador to the US following the US government’s expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool as ambassador last year.
Ramaphosa worked closely with Meyer, a former member of the National Party, during negotiations leading up to South Africa’s 1994 democratic elections.
Meyer and Ramaphosa have maintained a well-publicised friendship despite their vastly different origins.
He was a member of parliament from 1979 to 1997. He was also the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Communication.
After leaving the National Party, he co-founded the United Democratic Movement (UDM), which is currently a member of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Meyer faces a challenging role, given the rapid deterioration in relations between South Africa and the United States since Trump’s return as President.
Trump has accused South Africa of conducting a white genocide, threatened sanctions and announced tariffs of 30% on South African goods last year.
The US also shunned the G20 conference in South Africa last year. South African officials have also not received accreditation for the G20 in Miami this year.
Meyer arrives in America
Meyer has now arrived in Washington, D.C. and has presented his credentials to Trump, alongside several other international ambassadors.
Speaking with SABC News, Meyer said that the US President could not engage with every ambassador on specific issues and spoke with them as a group.
Nevertheless, the ambassador said that the experience was very “cordial” and “pleasant,” which are not often terms given by South African officials when referring to the American President.
Meyer said that he will represent the South African government and all of the political parties that form the GNU.
The ambassador added that his work for the role has now begun, with preparatory work set to go on for the next two to three weeks.
He will then report to the South African government on the current relationship and receive a path forward for it.
For Meyer, one thing is important: removing the hurdles facing the current relationship between the countries.
He said that removing these barriers will be crucial for South Africa’s economic growth and job creation.
He noted that President Ramaphosa outlined what he would like the ambassador to achieve during his tenure in the US.
Meyer said that the President wants a relationship that produces results. This will include highlighting the realities facing South Africa to the US.
Despite American officials claiming a white genocide in South Africa, many have noted that the crime against white South Africans, while high, is far lower than that of other racial groups in the country.
US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III recently delivered a list of five asks to South Africa. These five asks include:
- Protecting rural communities from violence, referring to the globally publicised farm attacks. In 2025, the US wanted this to become a priority crime focus.
- Condemning rhetoric that incites hatred and glorifies violence, referring to the infamous “kill the boer” chant. The US wants the government to publicly condemn this.
- Ensuring appropriation policies include fair and clear compensation standards, in light of the government’s move to normalise “nil” compensation in new expropriation laws.
- Ending mandatory surrender of ownership or control of corporate decision-making as a cost of one’s own business, referring to South Africa’s strict BEE policies.
- Ending its association with Iran and enemies of the United States and becoming a non-aligned state, as it purports to be.
Meyer will then speak with the US government over these demands, but noted that South Africa may find some of the US demands invalid.
The ambassador will also seek to understand why the US government has increased its Afrikaner refugee cap from 7,500 to 17,500 over the last week, given questions over the US’s motives.
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