Musk shared a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) quoting: “White South Africans are being persecuted for their race in their home country. Also, White South Africans are one of the few population groups that are fiscally positive when immigrating to Europe. We should allow more immigration of White South Africans.”
As a white South African, Musk echoed his agreement by commenting, “Yes.” He also shared another tweet claiming that land is being taken from white South Africans and redistributed to black individuals.
Musk’s comments follow a statement from former President Donald Trump, who threatened South Africa over new land expropriation laws.
The controversy surrounding Musk’s support of white South African immigration started after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill in January that could alter land ownership patterns, potentially redistributing farmland from white to black South Africans.
In post-apartheid South Africa, Black people make up the ethnic majority but own a small proportion of the land. The new bill allows for land expropriation without compensation, a move that has sparked tension, including from Trump, who has voiced concerns over the policy.
On Sunday, Trump condemned the land expropriation law as a “human rights violation” and threatened to cut funding to South Africa. Musk showed his alignment with Trump’s stance by quoting Ramaphosa’s defense of the policy, asking, “Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?”
White land ownership in South Africa stems from a history of colonialism and apartheid, during which many Black people had their land forcibly taken and were denied property rights.
In response to these developments, President Ramaphosa has reportedly reached out to Musk, urging him to speak with Trump. Ramaphosa’s office stated that the president emphasized South Africa’s constitutional commitment to the rule of law, justice, fairness, and equality.
