President Cyril Ramaphosa Defends Roelf Meyer’s Appointment Amid Criticism
- President Cyril Ramaphosa stood firm on his decision to appoint Roelf Meyer as the Ambassador to the US
- Meyer's appointment has caused furore, and Ramaphosa defended Meyer, a former Apartheid politician
- Ramaphosa defended Meyer's decision to join the African National Congress
Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.
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GAUTENG— President Cyril Ramaphosa defended his decision to appoint Roelf Meyer as the new Ambassador to the United States. He also defended Meyer's membership of the African National Congress (ANC).
According to IOL, Ramaphosa spoke at the National Local Economic Development Summit in Johannesburg on 16 April 2026. He said that Meyer joined the ANC because he embraced the party's policies. He also said that Meyer is attuned with the policies of South Africa and must comply with the policies of the government. He added that if he did not, he would come back.
Economic Freedom Fighters rejects Roelf Meyer's appointment
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) furiously criticised Ramaphosa's appointment of Roelf. In a statement, the party said that it refuses to accept a situation where the democratic state elevates former apartheid functionaries.
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The party demanded that Meyer, who was a former National Party MP and was one of the negotiators during the transition to democracy, be withdrawn from his post. The EFF said Ramaphosa must select a representative who embodies the true revolutionary values of South Africa.
Political parties react to the appointment
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba also berated Ramaphosa for his appointment. He said on his @HermanMashaba X account that Ramaphosa has officially handed the country back to the National Party and accused him of compromising the country's freedom and sovereignty.
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Solidarity's Head of Public Liaison, Jaco Kleynhans, was also displeased with the appointment. He said on his @JacoKleynhans X account that at 78, Meyer is a retired politician whose career belongs to a previous political era. He added that Meyer's appointment risks deepening existing concerns within the Afrikaner community and does little to repair strained relations with Washington.
"It appears to be yet another misstep in the South African government's handling of its relationship with the United States," he said.
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Sinawo Thambo also reacted to the appointment. He posted a video of former South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani on his @SinawoThambo X account. Hani spoke in the clip about his hatred for the apartheid regime. Hani said that Roelf Meyer was one of the apartheid politicians who worked out the strategies to destroy the liberation movement.
"Today, on the week of the anniversary of Chris Hani's assassination, Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Roelf Meyer as the Ambassador of South Africa to the USA," he said.
View the video on X here:
Cyril Ramaphosa responds to Elon Musk's allegations
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Ramaphosa fired back at billionaire Elon Musk's criticism of Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment policies. Musk recently reiterated his allegations that the government is racist.
Ramaphosa said that the country's empowerment policies are designed to address historical injustices rather than promote discrimination. He said South African laws are not racist.
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Source: Briefly News
