South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke with Elon Musk regarding misinformation about South Africa, the presidency announced on Tuesday.
- Elon Musk accused South Africa of enforcing ‘openly racist ownership laws’ and implied targeting of white people.
- Ramaphosa and Musk spoke to address ‘issues of misinformation and distortions’ regarding the country.
- South Africa’s land reform policy aims to promote equitable public access to land.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke with Elon Musk regarding misinformation about South Africa, the presidency announced on Tuesday.
This follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement on Sunday, in which he accused South Africa of seizing land and mistreating “certain classes of people,” vowing to suspend aid to the country over its land reform policy, Reuters reported.
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In response, Ramaphosa clarified on Monday that no land had been confiscated and that the policy’s objective is to promote equitable public access to land.
South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of Donald Trump, entered the debate on Monday with a post on X, accusing South Africa of enforcing “openly racist ownership laws” and implying that white people were being targeted.
The law, signed by Ramaphosa last month, permits the state to expropriate land “in the public interest,” including, in certain cases, without compensation.
South Africa had initially set a target for the government to transfer 30% of farmland to Black ownership, but this target has faced repeated delays. By 2018, a government survey of title deeds showed that only 8% had been successfully transferred.
According to the most recent state audit, white landowners control three-quarters of South Africa’s freehold farmland, while Black landowners hold just 4%. This disparity exists despite Black people making up approximately 80% of the country’s population, whereas white people account for around 8%.
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The South African presidency later stated on X that President Cyril Ramaphosa and Musk had spoken on Monday to address “issues of misinformation and distortions” regarding the country.
“In the process, the President reiterated South Africa’s constitutionally embedded values of the respect for the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality,” it said, giving no further details.
