Roelf Meyer, who has recently taken up the post of South African ambassador to the United States, told the BBC that there is no evidence of a white genocide in South Africa. In an interview, he said his identity as a white Afrikaner gives him particular legitimacy to challenge assertions to the contrary.
Meyer's remarks were a direct response to comments made by former US President Donald Trump, who had described the situation in South Africa as a genocide of white farmers. The ambassador told the BBC he disagreed with that characterisation and presented his own perspective as someone from the community cited in such claims.
The exchange highlights how international attention and political rhetoric can intersect with South Africa's domestic debates. Meyer spoke to the BBC in his capacity as ambassador, positioning himself to counterwhat he described as misleading portrayals of the country's social and political realities.
Meyer’s intervention is likely to shape diplomatic and media conversations between South Africa and the United States as he settles into his new role. His comments underline the sensitivity of farm attack narratives and the broader contest over how South Africa's challenges are represented abroad.