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Julius Malema Tells Elon Musk to “Go to Hell” After Calls for International Sanctions
In a fierce exchange between South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and US billionaire Elon Musk, tensions have escalated following Musk’s calls on X for Malema to be declared an international criminal. The dispute began after Musk retweeted old footage of Malema making inflammatory remarks about “cutting the throat of whiteness.”
Musk, a vocal critic of Malema’s rhetoric, called for immediate sanctions against the EFF leader and demanded that the former ANC Youth League leader be designated as an international criminal. The billionaire’s controversial tweet amplified the already tense relations between South Africa and the US.
In retaliation, Malema took to Twitter, where he responded sharply to Musk’s comments. “I really think you have entirely lost your left brain: a typical spoiled brat and direct beneficiary of Apartheid whiteness. I know black people look the same to you, typical racist. Look closer, and you will realise those are two different people,” Malema wrote. He went on to express his indifference to Musk’s calls for sanctions. “I will never stop fighting for black people to be equal to white people, and if that makes me an international criminal, I am proud to be one.”
Immediate sanctions for Malema and declaration of him as an international criminal! https://t.co/KLwfsp9c2j
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9, 2025
The tensions between the two have been brewing for weeks, particularly after US President Donald Trump and Musk voiced their opposition to South Africa’s new Expropriation Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Trump recently announced a series of executive orders that would end USAID funding for HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa and prioritize white Afrikaners for the US refugee program.
In response to the rising pressure from the US, the EFF has called on the South African government to strengthen ties with BRICS nations, citing the Trump administration’s punitive stance toward Pretoria’s support for Palestine. The EFF spokesperson, Sinawo Thambo, dismissed Musk’s comments as part of a broader “hysteria” in the US, accusing the billionaire of attempting to position himself as a global ruler. “Musk has assumed the role of a global billionaire maniac, whose grotesque wealth has overwhelmed him,” Thambo said.
The EFF made it clear that they would not tolerate Musk’s interference in South Africa’s internal affairs. They also issued a strong statement, vowing to prevent Musk’s Starlink service from operating in South Africa without adhering to local laws, which mandate 30% local ownership.
“The offense Musk has made against the leader of the EFF constitutes meddling in our domestic affairs. He must be viewed as an imperialist undermining the sovereignty of South Africa,” Thambo continued. “The EFF will not be cowed into submission, and we remain unwavering in our commitment to confronting imperialism, wherever it arises.”
As tensions between Washington and Pretoria continue to mount, other political figures, such as Afriforum, have also responded. Afriforum announced that they would not be taking up Trump’s offer for refuge in the US and are seeking a meeting with President Ramaphosa to resolve the ongoing political impasse over South Africa’s Expropriation Act.
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