“Deeply offensive”: Presidency slams Elon Musk over claims about South Africa’s race laws

A familiar argument, reignited

Elon Musk has once again found himself at the centre of a South African political firestorm and this time, the response from the Presidency was anything but polite.

The South African-born billionaire, who owns Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, claimed that South Africa now has more race-based laws than it did during apartheid, alleging they are aimed at the country’s white minority. The comments, shared on X, quickly went viral and reopened a long-running, deeply emotional debate about race, redress and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa.

Only an unhinged, unrepentant racist will not understand how deeply offensive such words are to people who still bear the scars of apartheid and everyday work to dismantle the mess left by colonialism and apartheid that benefited your ilk. https://t.co/y7ZXfFptPW

Vincent Magwenya 🇿🇦 (@SpokespersonRSA) December 13, 2025

“Unhinged and deeply offensive”

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, responded sharply, accusing Musk of being profoundly insensitive to the country’s history.

He described the comments as coming from “an unhinged, unrepentant racist,” saying Musk’s words were especially offensive to South Africans still living with the scars of apartheid and the daily work of undoing the damage caused by colonialism and racial exclusion.

The unusually blunt language signalled just how seriously the Presidency views Musk’s repeated interventions in South African race debates.

Where Musk’s claim comes from

Musk based his argument on research linked to the Institute of Race Relations (IRR), specifically its Index of Race Law, which tracks legislation, policies and court judgments that reference race. He argued that current transformation policies amount to discrimination, though he did not explain what he meant by urging people to “prepare accordingly”, a phrase that unsettled many readers online.

Critics were quick to point out that counting laws mentioning race does not equal apartheid, a system built on total political exclusion, forced removals and racialised violence.

South Africa now has more anti-White laws than Apartheid had anti-Black laws.

This is deeply wrong: the goal should be no race-based laws! https://t.co/l4CxdM1wnO

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 12, 2025

Thuli Madonsela enters the debate

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela also weighed in, challenging Musk’s claims and questioning his motives.

She accused him of spreading misinformation and argued that reparative justice is essential if South Africa is to become a truly equal society and unlock its economic and social potential.

Her intervention added weight to the backlash, particularly among South Africans who see transformation laws as imperfect but necessary responses to centuries of systemic inequality.

Starlink, BEE and a recurring grievance

Musk’s criticism of South Africa’s policies is not new. Earlier this year, he claimed that Starlink could not operate in South Africa because he is not Black, a statement firmly rejected by government officials.

At the time, international relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela dismissed the claim, saying Starlink is welcome to operate locally as long as it complies with South African law, including licensing requirements. He also pointed out that more than 600 US companies currently operate in South Africa, complying with local regulations and investing successfully.

Microsoft’s recent expansion announcement was cited as proof that race-based exclusion is not keeping foreign companies out.

The politics behind the noise

The controversy has also spilled into government itself. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi recently issued a directive asking Icasa to reconsider strict local ownership rules, opening the door for Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes a move widely seen as linked to easing Starlink’s entry.

Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele publicly criticised the directive, highlighting growing tension within government over how far transformation policies should bend for foreign tech giants.

Why this debate won’t go away

On South African social media, reactions have been sharply divided. Some users echoed Musk’s frustrations, while others accused him of reducing apartheid to a numbers game and ignoring lived realities of inequality.

What’s clear is this: race, redress and economic power remain raw, unresolved issues and when one of the world’s richest men weighs in from abroad, the reaction is bound to be explosive.

For the Presidency, the message is simple: transformation policies are not apartheid by another name. For Musk, the criticism appears unlikely to silence him. And for South Africans watching the exchange unfold online, the clash feels less like a misunderstanding and more like a reflection of just how unfinished the country’s past still is.

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