The head of a South African party that Elon Musk had accused of “pushing genocide” in his own country was heard calling him “illiterate” on Wednesday.
The argument between Mr. Musk and Julius Malema, the leader of the extreme left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, stems from a dispute over a contentious song from the struggle against apartheid that was sung at an EFF meeting last weekend.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the largest opposition party, has criticized Mr. Malema for inciting racial violence by yelling “Kill the Boer the Farmer” at the demonstration in Soweto.
The ancestors of the earliest European settlers in South Africa are known as the Boers. Elon Musk seems illiterate, so why should I try to teach him anything? Malema stated this at a press conference in Johannesburg. “His white skin is the only thing that shields him.
Because some people find the violent lyrics of “Kill the Boer” to be offensive, singing it has long been controversial in South Africa. In a statement that has now gone viral, Mr. Musk wrote on Monday on Twitter, which he called X. “They openly push for genocide of white people in South Africa.”
Mr. Musk, who was born in Pretoria, called on Cyril Ramaphosa, the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), the organization that helped bury apartheid, and questioned him about his silence.
The cry has previously put Mr. Malema into trouble. A court determined the contentious chant did not qualify as hate speech last year, but an appeal is still pending.
There is a whole clip of the court hearing on YouTube, regardless of whether Elon Musk is accessing it, Julius Malema remarked on Wednesday. “This case is over; there is no need to waste time on nonsense.” The DA announced on Monday that it was thinking about complaining about Mr. Malema.
In less than a year, elections will be held, and if the ANC loses its parliamentary majority—and with it, the country’s presidency—for the first time in its history.
