President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended his direct engagements with South Africa-born tech billionaire Elon Musk, dismissing criticism from Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema.
During a heated National Assembly session on Tuesday, Malema slammed Ramaphosa for interacting with Musk, who now serves as US President Donald Trump’s head of government efficiency. Malema also accused Ramaphosa of sidelining International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola by dealing with Musk personally.
In response, Ramaphosa insisted that speaking directly to influential business figures like Musk was neither unusual nor inappropriate. He emphasized that engaging with a broad range of individuals, including those outside formal diplomatic channels, was part of his responsibility as president.
Malema’s criticism comes after Musk publicly called for sanctions against the EFF leader, accusing him of racist rhetoric and suggesting he should be declared an international criminal.
Addressing Parliament, Ramaphosa defended his meetings with Musk, confirming that they had met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly last year and had spoken again over the phone in February. Their discussions, he explained, came in response to US decisions to freeze aid to South Africa over what he described as false claims about land expropriation.
“There’s nothing sinister about the various discussions that we hold with a variety of people,” Ramaphosa told the House.
He also took aim at AfriForum’s lobbying efforts in the US, saying he was deeply disappointed by their actions, which he deemed unpatriotic.
