Elon Musk labels Expropriation Act as ‘openly racist ownership laws’
South African born billionaire Elon Musk has chipped in on US President Donald Trump threatening that South Africa will suffer financial consequences for “confiscating” land.
In a tweet on Monday morning, Musk said, “Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?”, in response to a tweet from President Cyril Ramaphosa responding to Trump’s threat in relation to the Expropriation Act.
Below is Musk’s tweet:
Why do you have openly racist ownership laws? https://t.co/tHWVsmB04F
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
This comes after Trump was asked in a Fox News interview, if he was planning to cut aid to different African nations.
Trump said, “No. It’s only South Africa, terrible things are happening in South Africa, the leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things ... so that's under investigation right now, we're making determinations and until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing.”
“They are taking away land, they are confiscating land and actually they are doing things that are perhaps far worse than that."
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed," Trump also said on the Truth Social platform on Sunday.
The presidency responded on Monday and said, “We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters.”
“The US remains a key strategic political and trade partner for South Africa.”
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy that is deeply rooted in the rule of law, justice and equality. The South African government has not confiscated any land.”
“The recently adopted Expropriation Act is not a confiscation instrument, but a constitutionally mandated legal process that ensures public access to land in an equitable and just manner as guided by the constitution.
“South Africa, like the United States of America and other countries, has always had expropriation laws that balance the need for public usage of land and the protection of rights of property owners,” said Magwenya.
Meanwhile, at the Mining Indaba being held in Cape Town, Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe also hit back at the US president, and said that South Africa and the continent should hold back minerals to the US.
"Let us withhold minerals to the US. If they don’t give us money, let's not give them minerals. We are not just beggars, let us use that endowment for our benefit. If as a continent we are paralysed with fear, we are going to collapse, but with minerals at our doorstep," he said during the Mining Indaba.
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