South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed prominent Afrikaner politician Roelf Meyer as the country's ambassador to the United States. This move fills a vacancy that had persisted for nearly a year after the previous ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled in May last year for criticizing the US regime and its handling of South African affairs. Rasool had allegedly stated that the US was attempting to "project white victimhood as a dog whistle."

Roelf Meyer served as a member of parliament from 1979 to 1997 and was the minister of defense from 1991 to 1992 under the white minority government of former President F.W. de Klerk's National Party. He later became a chief negotiator in the talks that ended apartheid and led to the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa's first Black leader in 1994. Meyer served in Mandela's first unity government cabinet as constitutional development minister from 1994 to 1996.

The US regime, under Donald Trump, has criticized South Africa's ANC-led government and cut all financial assistance to the country. Trump, making allegations of a "white genocide" against the minority Afrikaner group, purportedly took Ramaphosa to task in front of reporters at the White House during a 2025 visit to the US. The US has also granted Afrikaners who feel persecuted in South Africa a bespoke migration and asylum procedure.

Meyer's appointment follows soon after Ramaphosa accepted conservative activist Leo Brent Bozell III as the new US ambassador to South Africa. The two nations are also at odds over South Africa's decision to pursue an International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Trump boycotted the G20 Leaders Summit hosted by South Africa in 2025 and has not invited South Africa to the G20 meetings being hosted by the US in Miami in December.

Beyond this, South Africa's wealthiest and best-known white emigre, Elon Musk, has long been a staunch critic of the government in his country of origin. His criticism has amplified considerably in recent days, as Musk is upset at barriers to access for his Starlink company, which he claims are racially motivated. This situation further complicates the already strained bilateral relations.

Source: www.dw.com