Elon Musk critiques SA's direction, claims it goes against Mandela's vision

South African-born billionaire Elon Musk has continued his criticism of South Africa, stating that the current situation in the country is not aligned with Nelson Mandela's vision.

Musk, along with right-wing groups such as AfriForum and Solidarity, has been a vocal critic of South Africa’s affirmative action policies, which were implemented to address the country's extreme inequality. According to the World Bank, South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world.

Starlink, Musk's satellite internet constellation company, operates globally, including in African nations like Zambia, Mozambique, and Namibia. However, it has faced challenges in obtaining a license to operate in South Africa due to its reported refusal to meet regulatory requirements mandating that at least 30% of equity ownership be held by individuals from historically disadvantaged groups."

The billionaire has also been at the centre of peddling the false claim that white South Africans were being persecuted in the country, despite all available research and evidence suggesting that white South Africans live largely comfortable lives compared to the majority of the black population.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 

Responding to former AfriForum CEO Ernst Roets' interview with American conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson on X, Musk said what was currently going on in South Africa was not what former President Nelson Mandela intended.

During the interview, Roets made several controversial claims, including that South African universities were teaching "white genocide" and that the government was attempting to confiscate land.

"Should note that I grew up as English South African, not Afrikaans, and consider myself to be simply an American. That said, what’s happening in South Africa is deeply wrong. Not what Mandela intended at all," Musk said.

IOL News