South Africa's President and Elon Musk discuss false information

South Africa's President and Elon Musk discuss false information

The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke on Monday with Elon Musk about topics such as misinformation and distortions regarding South Africa, as the presidency announced on Tuesday. The president emphasized the constitutional values ​​of South Africa, which contain respect for the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality.

conversation context and current developments

The conversation took place a day after the threat of US President Donald Trump, to delete the help for South Africa due to alleged ill-treatment of white farmers in the country. Trump said on the Truth Social platform that he would hire financial support until a comprehensive investigation into the allegations about the confiscation of the country and the poor treatment of certain population groups was completed. Trump claimed that "massive" human rights violations take place "for everyone" in South Africa, but without providing details or evidence.

ramaphosa rejects allegations

President Ramaphosa denied the allegations on Monday that the South African authorities confiscate land and stated that his country was ready to work with the Trump administration about reform policy in the area of ​​land use. Trump's complaint, which he raised in the White House during his first term in 2018, refers to the complex land reforms in South Africa.

historical background of the land reforms

During apartheid, black and non-white South Africans were violently removed from their country to make it available to white citizens. Since the first democratic elections in 1994, the South African Basic Law has regulations on land redistribution and restitution. Despite these developments, unemployment and poverty remain acute in the approximately 80% of the population that are considered black, while they only have a fraction of the country.

new legislation on land procurement

Last month Ramaphosa signed a law that defines new guidelines for land expropriation. These allow the government to expropriate land without compensation under certain circumstances. Elon Musk, born in South Africa, and head of the newly founded US department for government efficiency, had previously criticized Ramaphosa's new politics. In a contribution to X, the platform that belongs to him, Musk Ramaphosa accused "open racist property laws".

response to US aid strategy

on Trump's threat, Ramaphosa explained that the US government, apart from a large HIV/AIDS aid program, does not provide significant financial support for South Africa.

Report by Jessie Yeung, Cnn.