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Roelf Meyer is seen with US ambassador to SA Leo Brent Bozell.
International relations expert Dr Emmanuel Matambo has described veteran politician Roelf Meyer as a pragmatic choice for South Africa’s ambassador to the US.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the appointment on Tuesday.
The move comes as Pretoria seeks to repair ties with Washington following a challenging period of strained relations.
Seventy-eight-year-old Meyer replaces Ebrahim Rasool.
Matambo says the appointment is strategic.
“What we want at the moment is just a return, so to say, to some semblance of normalcy between South Africa and the United States of America. It’s been a year now since the 14th of March, last year that Ebrahim Rasool was ejected from the United States.”
“So President Ramaphosa wanted to get someone in there; he has just accepted the credentials of Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III, Ambassador of the United States to South Africa. So I think he wanted to get the ball rolling, and I think it’s quite a pragmatic choice,” adds Matambo.
PODCAST | Full interview with Dr Emmanuel Matambo
