Roelf Meyer appointment as ambassador to US met with mixed reactions from parties

The appointment of veteran political negotiator Roelf Meyer as the country’s next ambassador to the United States (US) has been met with mixed reactions from political parties.

While the Democratic Alliance (DA) said the 78-year-old is a good pick, the Freedom Front (FF) Plus is disappointed with the choice.

Meyer is set to succeed Ebrahim Rasool, who spent only a few months in the US before being booted out last March over comments he made about US President Donald Trump’s leadership during an online seminar.

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In light of South Africa’s strained relationship with the US that started when Donald Trump took office in 2025, the DA’s international relations spokesperson, Ryan Smith, believes Meyer has the skill necessary to repair it.

But Smith said his success will depend on his ability to break several diplomatic impasses that exist in Washington.

“Roelf Meyer’s primary objective should be the swift repair of South Africa’s trade relationship with the USA, giving assurances to the Trump administration that we remain a consistent and dependable trading partner.”

The FF Plus leader Corne Mulder, however, said Meyer, having been the New National Party’s chief negotiator during the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) and then later joining the African National Congress (ANC), calls into question Meyer’s credibility.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said Meyer’s appointment compromises the country’s freedom and sovereignty.

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa, who co-founded his party with Meyer, said he is suitably experienced and has advised him to work towards a relationship akin to the one former President Thabo Mbeki enjoyed with the US.