Elon Musk dubbed the villain in SA-US spat

Some white South Africans have rejected claims made that they are being treated badly, saying such assertions are misleading and can lead to unnecessary tensions.

They’ve put South African born billionaire, Elon Musk, at the centre of the renewed tensions between America and South Africa after US President and his ally, Donald Trump, threatened to halt future funding to Pretoria, citing unfair racial policies as reason.

Trump’s assertions came amid anger from certain quarters, including the DA, Solidarity and AfriForum, over the recent enacting of the Expropriation Bill into law.

According to Donald Trump who was lied to by Elon musk…

This Black man here, is treating “certain classes of people” badly because he is refusing to be buried alive by a “special race” 🚮🚮

They can take their Aid, South Africa is not going to be one of their puppets! pic.twitter.com/KYT59zaq0K

— TWAR___SA🇿🇦 (@TwaRSA26) February 3, 2025

to work in the Mines as slaves :

That Elon Musk is Tweeting to the South African President about ati about RACIST OWNERSHIP Laws….

😂😂🤣🤣🤣

This guy thinks he is divine. pic.twitter.com/vL3ChrEHMF

— OSCAR SUDI JUNIOR 🇰🇪 (@oscarsudijunio) February 3, 2025

If Trump wants to cut us off, let it be. Let’s start afresh, as we already have a high unemployment rate. It’s time to take BRICS more seriously. Nothing we say will change Trump’s mind, especially with Elon Musk on his side.

— DJ Mstar_SA (@Djmstar_sa) February 3, 2025

Elon Musk and some Afrikaners are telling Trump lies about the killing of white farmers in SA.

They hire illegal foreigners,the very same illegal foreigners robs and kill them.

Recently a wife of a farmer was arrested for planning to have her husband killed. pic.twitter.com/8WvrsfB6MU

— Azania (@azania1023) February 3, 2025

White South Africans are not victims – we are beneficiaries of a cruel racist system called apartheid and we continue to benefit from this today in free South Africa

Afriforum is a right wing organisation and Donald Trump must speak to black leaders in South Africa not a rabid… https://t.co/OdF4d50Omi

— Kim Heller (@kimheller3) February 3, 2025

Some South Africans, including political experts, have also blamed AfriForum, among others, for the diplomatic crisis.

A young white South African speaking against @realDonaldTrump and @afriforum… pic.twitter.com/kfJSSt16YF

— Simulation F=G mM/r**2 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 (@mayiselk) February 4, 2025

Political economy analyst, Daniel Silke, says the least Washington should’ve done was to approach Pretoria and get clarity on the issue.

Musk even went to the extent of questioning a statement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Why do you have openly racist ownership laws? https://t.co/tHWVsmB04F

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025

However, the Presidency now says it has now spoken to the X owner on the Land Expropriation bill, while AfriForum has appealed to the US to only punish ANC leaders and not South Africans.

Yesterday, 3 February 2025, President @CyrilRamaphosa spoke to @ElonMusk on issues of misinformation and distortions about South Africa.

In the process, the President reiterated South Africa’s constitutionally embedded values of the respect for the rule of law, justice,… pic.twitter.com/P5CX9ggTYH

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) February 4, 2025

South Africans nonetheless believe that Musk should bear the brunt of his actions.

Let’s be clear, Afriforum represents its about 315000 paying members. It does NOT represent all white people or even all white Afrikaans speaking people in South Africa.

Campaigning for a foreign government to interfere or influence South African domestic policy is… https://t.co/QOYVcsIke9

— Bianca van Wyk (@BiancavanWyk16) February 4, 2025

This is why Trump is banning aid to South Africa….

pic.twitter.com/Qsj57DHD1T

— Pelham (@Resist_05) February 3, 2025

If white people fear living in South Africa so much, they should leave, no one is stopping them. pic.twitter.com/zR618sJ0bF

— S U N R I S E ✨ (@sheabutterhun) February 3, 2025

@TateTheTalisman don’t listen to lies on social media. We’re here on the ground we suffer. They are feeding Donald Trump with lies through Elon. You can’t ignore me forever, at dome point you’ll see

— Africa4Africans (@DeepNmusique_ZA) February 4, 2025

That’s a plain lie. I am South African, I live in SA. No white person is being persecuted here. In fact, if you’re white, more often than not, you enjoy a relatively sheltered life, you’re wealthier than most and have more opportunities than other race groups in SA

— Unum (@bonganiRa) February 4, 2025

Yes they can go back home. There isn’t white south African. Do you remember apartheid? Of course not because you are bipolar like your European and American brother’s. Take them all to the moon.

— RodrigKa (@RudiLeKamite) February 4, 2025

12 civil society organisations have on the other hand, released a joint statement slamming US President’s threat to cut funding to South Africa.

The organisations describe his statements as full of untruths about the Expropriation Act and draws on the irony that his threat will actually negatively impact the poor.

Updated version of South African Civil Society organisations response to Trump threats and his dangerous lies about our country. pic.twitter.com/Qm0NmoOYMR

— Nicole Fritz (@Nicole_Fritz) February 4, 2025