JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to Elon Musk on the subject of misinformation about South Africa, the presidency said on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would suspend aid to the country over its land reform policy.
Trump on Sunday accused South Africa of confiscating land and badly treating “certain classes of people”. Ramaphosa responded on Monday that the government had not confiscated any land and the policy was aimed at ensuring equitable public access to land.
South African-born billionaire Musk, who is close to Trump, had waded into the dispute on Monday with a post on X accusing South Africa of having “openly racist ownership laws”, suggesting white people were the victims.
The presidency said on X that Ramaphosa and Musk had spoken on Monday “on issues of misinformation and distortions” about South Africa.
“In the process, the President reiterated South Africa’s constitutionally embedded values of the respect for the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality,” it said, giving no further details.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Alexander Winning)
