President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged in discussions with Elon Musk to address concerns over misinformation about South Africa’s land reform policies.
This dialogue was prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement to halt aid to South Africa, citing alleged land “confiscations” and mistreatment of certain groups.
Trump’s statements echoed unsubstantiated claims by Musk, who criticized South Africa’s land policies and Black economic empowerment laws as “racist.”
In their conversation, Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa’s commitment to the rule of law, justice, fairness, and equality.
He clarified that the Expropriation Act, recently signed into law, aims to address historical land ownership imbalances by allowing the government to expropriate unused land in the public interest, with provisions for “nil compensation” under specific conditions.
The president assured that the policy is designed to ensure equitable land access and does not involve arbitrary confiscation.
