South Africa: Elon Musk, Julius Malema Back-and-Forth Escalates Deepening South Africa-U.S. Tensions

Trade relations between South Africa and the U.S. may be determined by the outcome of diplomacy

The tensions between South Africa and the U.S. raise concerns about the future of trade relations, particularly South Africa’s access to U.S. markets under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision not to attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, because the country is “doing very bad things” such as “using G20 to promote solidarity, equality, and sustainability”.

Johannesburg is set to host the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting on February 20 and 21. But despite the diplomatic fallout around the Land Expropriation Act and freezing aid funding, including for HIV/AIDS programs under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Trump administration is showing an interest in South Africa’s mining sector, seeing it as an economic engagement opportunity.

At the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa, Scott Woodard, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Transformation, said that while current efforts are primarily domestic, the executive order signed by Trump on the first day of his second term also includes international partnerships. He said that the Trump administration is still in the process of developing its policies.

Days after this statement, Trump signed an executive order that included plans to resettle South African farmers and their families as refugees. However, many Afrikaner groups, such as AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement, rejected this offer, expressing their commitment to remain in South Africa and address domestic problems.

Trump had said that the land policy discriminates against white Afrikaner farmers and violates human rights.

Ramaphosa defended the policy, saying the country won’t be bullied for following its own laws. The Expropriation Act is intended to streamline government access to land for public purposes as part of the country’s land reform program, which also includes restitution and tenure reform.

According to the latest government land audit, white people own 72% of farms and agricultural holdings owned by individual landowners, while 24% is owned by so-called Coloureds, Blacks, and Indians.

The resulting furore was further deepened by South African-born Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and close adviser to Trump, who has been vocal in his criticism of South African political leader Julius Malema, the commander-in-chief of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Musk criticized Malema for chanting “Kill The Boer” at a rally in 2023. Musk wrote that Malema is an “international criminal” and called for immediate sanctions against him.

The Zulu anti-apartheid song Dubul’ ibhunu translates as “Kill the Farmer, Kill the Boer” referring to the former ruling white minority – a chant which in 2022 the South African Equality Court ruled did not constitute hate speech under its legal framework.

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Malema dismissed Musk’s calls for sanctions, calling him a “spoiled brat” and a beneficiary of apartheid-era privileges.

“I really think you have entirely lost your left brain: a typical spoiled brat and direct beneficiary of Apartheid whiteness… I know black people look the same to you, typical racist. Look closer, and you will realize those are two different people. America is exposing us to its stupidity. I don’t care about your sanctions; I will never stop fighting for black people to be equal to white people, and if that makes me an international criminal, I am proud to be one,” wrote Malema.

Malema said that he would continue advocating on behalf of black people, even though he might fall out of favor with influential international figures.

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