American businessman and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has called for immediate sanctions against South African politician and lawmaker Julius Malema over a controversial speech he made in 2018 targeting white people.
In a tweet made on Sunday, Musk stated that Malema had committed a serious crime and should face appropriate punishment.
According to the White House, Musk is officially serving under President Donald Trump as a special government employee.
In November 2024, while still President-elect, Trump appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly created ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE).
A resurfaced viral video from 2018 showed Malema declaring that his party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), planned to remove Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Athol Trollip based solely on his race.
Speaking at the Standard Bank Arena in Johannesburg during the launch of the party’s election registration campaign, Malema said: “We have taken a decision that we are going to remove the mayor of PE [Port Elizabeth].”
He elaborated further: “Why? Why not [mayor of DA-led Johannesburg Herman] Mashaba, why not Solly [Msimanga – mayor of DA-led Tshwane]? Because the mayor of DA in PE is a white man. So, these people, when you want to hit them hard – go after a white man. They feel a terrible pain, because you have touched a white man.”
Malema clarified that his party would also target Mashaba and Msimanga eventually, stating: “But we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness. Trollip will not be a mayor after the 6th of April, if they give us that date.”
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Reacting to these statements seven years later, Elon Musk demanded immediate sanctions against Malema, writing on Twitter: “Immediate sanctions for Malema and declaration of him as an international criminal!”
Musk’s statement comes amid rising diplomatic tensions between the United States and South Africa. Recently, President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing financial aid to South Africa, following an earlier threat to do so.
Trump announced his decision on Truth Social, citing concerns over “land expropriation and alleged discriminatory treatment” of certain groups, particularly foreigners residing in South Africa. His move followed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of an expropriation bill into law, which allows the government to seize land without compensation under specific conditions.
In response, President Ramaphosa clarified that South Africa does not receive financial aid from the U.S., except for funding under the PEPFAR program, which supports the country’s HIV/AIDS initiatives.#Elon Musk
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