Is Elon Musk South African? Twitter CEO's spat with Julius Malema over genocide explained

X/Twitter's CEO Elon Musk made headlines after he got into a spat with South African politician Julius Malema. This was after Malema, the leader of a South African political party, during the 10th anniversary of The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on July 29, 2023, chanted "Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer" after delivering his speech.

A video capturing this moment quickly went viral on various social media platforms and garnered reactions from many.

The controversy escalated further when a conservative American political commentator and YouTuber, Benny Johnson, shared the video. He implied that Julius Malema's party was advocating violence against white people, specifically targeting white farmers.

Elon Musk then weighed in on the issue and directly addressed President Cyril Ramaphosa. Elon Musk expressed concern over the perceived promotion of white genocide in South Africa and questioned why the President has not spoken about the matter as he tweeted:

"They are openly pushing for genocide of white people in South Africa. @CyrilRamaphosa, why do you say nothing?"

In response to Musk's comment, Malema reacted strongly and translated to English, he said, "He's talking sh*t."

Musk and Malema's tweets (Image via Twitter/@Julius_S_Malema)

The situation has generated significant attention and raised concerns about racial tensions and freedom of speech.

It is worth noting that Elon Musk has South African roots and spent a few years in the country during his childhood.

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Elon Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa

The Twitter CEO was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 28, 1971, to his father Errol Musk, and mother Maye Musk. However, he later became a naturalized American citizen.

Elon Musk is a renowned entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of several companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, Inc., Neuralink, and The Boring Company. While he was born in South Africa, he spent a significant portion of his adult life in the United States.

Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, told AFP that he took great effort to raise his sons with a strong sense of their South African identity. Drawing from his own experiences in the military, he sought to instill a sense of discipline in them.

His goal was to raise his sons to be resilient, responsible, and grounded in their South African heritage.

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What is the Julius Malema controversy and what does ‘Kill Boer’ mean?

Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), found himself in the midst of controversy after he used the phrase "Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer." This has sparked intense social media debates, with many questioning the implications and potential consequences of Malema's words.

The phrase 'Kill Boer' translates to 'Kill Farmer' in English and holds historical significance in South Africa. It is crucial to recognize that the term originates from a song used during the country's apartheid era. At that time, the song served as a rallying cry against the oppressive regime, calling for resistance and liberation.

As reported by Reuters, the Zulu song's lyrics, which translate to "kill the farmer, kill the Boer," are believed to reference the previous ruling white minority in the country.

The contentious chant, endorsed as "not constituting hate speech" by The Equality Court in Johannesburg, gained popularity through its association with former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Peter Mokaba, who used the phrase "kill the boer, the farmer." This provocative slogan has been a source of longstanding anger within the Afrikaner community.

However, the contentious nature of the phrase lies in its interpretation in contemporary times. While some argue that it retains its historical context as a call for social justice and equality, others perceive it as promoting violence against white farmers, exacerbating racial tensions in the country.

The controversy escalated when the video of Malema chanting 'Kill Boer' during the rally went viral on social media platforms. Benny Johnson's post, which implied that Malema's party was advocating violence against white people and white farmers, further amplified the issue.