Land Row, Funding Cuts - Now Musk, Malema Feud Over South Africa

The diplomatic relationship between South Africa and the United States has grown increasingly strained, exacerbated by the feud between Elon Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur and close Trump adviser, and Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Musk labeled Malema an "international criminal" and called for sanctions over his "Kill the Boer" chants at a 2023 rally. Malema retaliated, calling Musk a "spoiled brat" and vowing to continue advocating for black equality, even at the cost of international backlash.

This tension follows President Donald Trump's criticism of South Africa's Expropriation Act, which he claims targets white Afrikaner farmers and violates human rights. In response, the U.S. froze aid, including HIV/AIDS funding, and proposed resettling South African farmers as refugees.

At the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa, Scott Woodard, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Transformation, said that while current efforts are primarily domestic, the executive order signed by Trump on the first day of his second term also includes international partnerships. He said that the Trump administration is still in the process of developing its policies.