South Africa Appoints Apartheid-Era Figure as US Ambassador

Pretoria has announced the appointment of Roelf Meyer, a prominent figure from the final apartheid-era government, as South Africa's ambassador to the United States. This crucial diplomatic posting has been vacant since the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool last year, an incident that further exacerbated already tense relations between the two nations.

A History of Negotiation

Mr Meyer, aged 78, is recognised for his pivotal role in the early 1990s negotiations to dismantle South Africa's system of white-minority rule. He served as the chief representative for the National Party, the architects of apartheid, working alongside Cyril Ramaphosa, who represented the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela's leadership.

As the constitutional affairs minister in the last National Party government, Mr Meyer transitioned into the government of national unity established in 1994 following Mr Mandela's election as president. His appointment is seen as a strategic move to leverage his extensive diplomatic experience and historical understanding in mending and strengthening bilateral relations with the US.