Elon Musk Says South Africa’s Laws Are ‘Deeply Wrong,’ Urges No Race-Based Legislation
- Billionaire Elon Musk has criticised South Africa’s current race-based laws, claiming they are even more discriminatory than those enforced during apartheid
- The Pretoria-born billionaire, who has lived in the United States for several decades, has frequently been accused of spreading misleading information about South Africa
- Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya responded to Elon Musk’s post on X regarding South Africa
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
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Elon Musk has criticised South Africa’s transformation laws, claiming they are more discriminatory than those under apartheid. Musk, who was born in Pretoria but now lives in the United States, has often been accused of sharing misleading information about South Africa.
What did Musk say?
Musk has again criticised the country’s transformation policies, describing them as discriminatory. While referencing his company, Starlink, he compared the legislation to apartheid-era laws. In a post on X, the platform he owns, Musk claimed that South Africa now has more laws targeting white people than there were laws against black people under apartheid, arguing that laws based on race should not exist.
“South Africa now has more anti-white laws than apartheid had anti-black laws. This is deeply wrong: the goal should be no race-based laws,” he said.
He has previously criticised the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Act, which requires companies such as Starlink to meet local ownership requirements. He has argued that the law unfairly discriminates against people who are not black. In earlier posts on X, Musk claimed that South African legislation excludes him from operating Starlink in the country because of race. He said that this contradicts the non-racial values promoted by former President Nelson Mandela.
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Vincent Magwenya claps back
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya pushed back against Elon Musk’s comments on X, saying the South African government would not be intimidated. Magwenya accused Musk of deliberately misrepresenting the country’s laws and described his remarks as deeply offensive, particularly to people still living with the effects of apartheid and colonialism.
Former public protector Thuli Madonsela also weighed in on Musk’s post, questioning the accuracy of his claims. She said his remarks ignored the need for reparative justice, arguing that South Africa cannot achieve equality or reach its full social and economic potential without it.
3 More stories about Elon Musk
- Briefly News also reported that South African internationally acclaimed music producer DJ Shimza recently reacted to Elon Musk and Donald Trump's beef. The star emphasised the strength of South African ancestors following Musk and Trump's fallout.
- Elon Musk has caused a stir on social media platform X after sharing strong views about safety in his home country.
- Elon Musk stole the show with his reaction during Donald Trump's first speech as the new President of the USA. The world's richest man was thrilled when he heard that Trump planned to send Americans to Mars.
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Source: Briefly News
