Roelf Meyer Says South Africa Seeks Continued Talks With the US Despite New Visa Restrictions
- South Africa's Ambassador to Washington, Roelf Meyer, weighed in on the newly announced visa restrictions
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced targeted visa restrictions against South African policymakers
- US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell also warned on social media that visa restrictions were only a first step
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
WASHINGTON, DC — South Africa's Ambassador to Washington, Roelf Meyer, has said Pretoria remains committed to dialogue with the United States, even as the Donald Trump administration moves to impose visa restrictions on South African policymakers.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced restrictions to target specific South African nationals deemed "responsible for, or complicit in" implementing policies the United States considers discriminatory or in violation of individual rights. The restrictions target foreign nationals alleged to be involved in race-based discrimination, uncompensated land seizures, and incitement of violence against minorities, including Afrikaners.
Immediate family members of those targeted could also be affected under the policy.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Meyer calls for dialogue
Speaking to News24, Meyer said that South Africa wanted to pursue negotiations with the US in the wake of the restrictions. President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Meyer as South Africa's ambassador to Washington on 14 April 2026, replacing Ebrahim Rasool, who was expelled from the United States in March 2025 after making comments critical of the Trump administration.
"We take note of what Secretary of State Rubio said, but we would like to continue engaging, and that is what we believe the task is," Meyer explained.
Meyer stressed that South Africa prefers de-escalation, regardless of the tone coming from Washington. His remarks came shortly after both Rubio and US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell adopted a notably hard line on bilateral relations.
Following Rubio's announcement, Bozell took to social media to warn that the visa restrictions were "only a first step," signalling potential further measures if South Africa does not act on the outstanding demands. He also warned that Washington was running out of patience.
Washington's five demands remain a contentious issue
The visa restrictions did not emerge without prior warning. In March 2026, Bozell formally outlined five demands directed at the South African government, mirroring requests first relayed to local delegations in June 2025.
Those demands include protecting rural communities from farm attacks, publicly condemning hate speech such as "Kill the Boer," ensuring fair compensation standards in expropriation legislation, scrapping mandatory ownership transfers under BEE requirements, and ending South Africa's diplomatic association with Iran.
At the time, Bozell described the requests as "achievable, practical and beneficial to both Americans and South Africans," but warned that Pretoria had left Washington without a substantive response for over a year.
Marco Rubio condemns the 'Kill the Boer' chant
Briefly News reported that the US Secretary of State received criticism from South Africans after he weighed in on the Kill the Boer chant.
Rubio touched on the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema using it during rallies, saying it incited violence.
He claimed the media did not provide coverage of Malema singing the chant and said there was insufficient outrage over the song.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
