Roelf Meyer is set to present his credentials to President Donald Trump today, formally assuming his role as South Africa’s ambassador to the United States at a moment of acute diplomatic strain between the two nations.
Dr. Kingsley Makhubela, a former South African ambassador and diplomat, said Meyer will have his “job cut out for him” and faces a “very daunting responsibility.”
Meyer’s arrival in Washington coincides with a series of escalating US actions against South Africa. According to Makhubela, the State Department recently sent a notice to Congress proposing to increase the number of “white refugees” from South Africa from 7,000 to 17,000, at an estimated cost of $100 million – approximately 1.6 billion rand.
“You can see the escalation is going up,” Makhubela said. He also noted recent US pressure on France to disinvite South Africa from the G7, as well as Washington’s refusal to accredit South African Minister Bongani to the G20 during World Bank and IMF meetings.
“The United States is still hellbent on really denigrating South Africa in the international space,” Makhubela added.
A Diplomatic Tightrope
Makhubela advised Meyer to avoid diving into policy disputes during the credentials ceremony itself. “He has the opportunity to reset the relationship,” he said. “He has to mention broadly that he’s yet to come and improve the relations between the two countries.”
But he warned that Trump is “a master of the media space” and that Meyer must be “very careful” not to be outplayed. The former ambassador said modern statecraft requires not just managing but “massaging the egos to be able to get what you want without offending your host.”
Makhubela urged Meyer to begin by influencing lower-level policy officials at the State Department and National Security Council before raising issues with the president. “Once they are convinced, they are likely to better inform the president, and you are likely to avoid a very acrimonious confrontation,” he said.
Identity and Diplomacy
Makhubela acknowledged that Meyer’s identity as a white Afrikaner could present unique challenges. He noted that the US far right may view Meyer as “a token of white people that the ANC has included to try to manage public relations,” while South Africa’s traditional center-left support base may regard him “with some level of suspicion.”
“He is in a serious quagmire,” Makhubela said. He added that sending a career diplomat “would have diffused those kind of underlying issues.”
Nevertheless, Makhubela praised Meyer’s credentials, calling him “quite a credible South African,” “a dedicated South African,” and “a serious patriot,” with experience in South Africa’s constitutional negotiations and the Northern Ireland peace process.
Broader Geopolitical Pressures
Makhubela said the tensions predate the Trump administration, noting that measures to isolate South Africa over its relationships with Russia and China “began during the Democrats era.” He recalled that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, during a visit to South Africa, warned that any country dealing with Russia would face “very serious action.”
“The unipolarity of the United States is starting to be challenged,” Makhubela said. “The United States still works on this thing of them and us. If you are seen to do business with China or Russia, there’s going to be suspicion.”
He concluded that navigating issues such as the Middle East conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war will be “very dicey,” adding: “These issues are entrenched within the system in the United States.”