Elon Musk Slams SA’s Laws, Mzansi Weighs In As He Calls It a Disgrace to Nelson Mandela’s Legacy

• Elon Musk again claimed that he was denied a licence to operate Starlink in South Africa because he wasn’t black
• The Tesla owner also claimed that South Africa’s laws were a disgrace to Nelson Mandela’s legacy
• Social media users were divided by Musk’s statement, with some supporting him and others criticising him

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WASHINGTON, DC – Elon Musk believes that the discriminatory laws in South Africa are a disgrace to the legacy of Nelson Mandela.

The Tesla owner made the claim on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), while once again talking about some of the discrimination taking place in the country.

Musk, much like Donald Trump, has claimed that a portion of the demographic was being treated unfairly by the South African government.

Musk says Mandela sought equality for all races

Sharing a post from Ernst van Zyl, Head of Public Relations at AfriForum, about Donald Trump’s claim about South Africa, Musk stated that the African country had passed 142 laws forcing discrimination against anyone who was not black.

He further stated that even though he was born in South Africa, the government would not grant him a licence to operate Starlink because he wasn’t black.

“This is a shameful disgrace to the legacy of the great Nelson Mandela, who sought to have all races treated equally in South Africa,” he posted.

You can view the full post below.

What you need to know about Musk and South Africa

• Musk sparked controversy when he warned a female tourist about visiting South Africa alone, suggesting she would need a gun.
• Musk blamed his race as the reason why he was not awarded a licence to operate Starlink in South Africa.
• A viral video debunked Musk’s claims that he wasn’t given an operating licence because of his skin colour.
• Musk’s AI feature, Grok, dispelled his claims of a white genocide taking place in South Africa.
• Musk maintains that white genocide was taking place in the country, criticising the media for not reporting it.

Social media is divided over Musk’s claims

Social media users were split when it came to Musk’s statement, with some agreeing with him and others criticising his narrative.

@ChrisExcel102 said:

“Microsoft invested R25.8 billion in South Africa, and Bill Gates is white. And brother from Pretoria wants to blackmail us using skin colour because he doesn’t want to adhere to the country's rules.”

@PlanetOfMemes said:

“South Africa is only hurting itself with these racist laws.”

@Sadie_NC added:

“What is amazing is that if the colours were reversed, the world would be in an uproar. But it seems perfectly acceptable to persecute white people.”

@ZacksJerryRig noted:

“White people make up 7% of the population in South Africa. White people also own 75% of the farmland in South Africa. Without even touching on how that farmland was obtained, it’s pretty obvious the current imbalance is unsustainable.”

@sourpatchlyds stated:

“This is more race-based laws than were passed during Apartheid. It is beyond disgraceful.”

@realnorma_kay asked:

“Why do you want Starlink in a country where you claim genocide is committed? Go away.”

What you need to know about Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the renowned CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was born in Pretoria, South Africa, to Errol and Maye Musk. He lived in SA until he moved to Canada at the age of 17. Musk holds citizenship in South Africa, Canada, and the United States.

As of 2020, he resided in Los Angeles, California. He initially joined former President Donald Trump’s Manufacturing Jobs Initiative and Strategic and Policy Forum but later resigned from both in protest after the US withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Lesotho grants Musk a licence to operate Starlink

While Musk is unable to operate Starlink in South Africa, he did get a licence to operate it in Lesotho.

Briefly News reported that the small African kingdom granted the SpaceX boss a licence in April 2025.

South Africans criticised the country for the decision, describing it as a bad move to work with Musk.

Source: Briefly News