Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Julius Malema has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa accusing him of not just entertaining but also aiding racists in becoming emboldened.
Malema’s criticism follows an admission by Ramaphosa during his question and answer session in parliament that he had met South African born billionaire businessman and now influential American civil servant Elon Musk more than once including recently.
Malema also suggested that the President undermined international relations Minister Ronald Lamola by allowing the likes of Musk to have a direct line to him.
“Mr President, I don’t know wittingly or unwittingly when you were answering the the question about our relationship with the USA, not once have you mentioned DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation) or Minister of international relations Minister and this is as a result of you having met Elon Musk during the UN General Assembly and knowing very well the views of Elon Musk on South Africa, racist white supremacist views about South Africa which led to you meeting him because you thought you were going to clarify those issues unrepentant racist became emboldened and made more bad remarks about South Africa even after meeting you physically you still saw a need to go outside diplomatic channels and made contact with an individual not using diplomatic relations or mechanisms within which we resolve diplomatic disputes as South Africa. Don’t you think you individually have emboldened white people to undermine us and you have single handedly destroyed the diplomatic relations of South Africa and you have destroyed with other countries and you have destroyed and juniorised the department of international relations, you’re making white people disrespect us Mr President and worse Elon Musk you organised a meeting with him or that phone call through his immoral father, politically, economically and otherwise, those are not the type of people you should be talking to,” said Malema in a follow up question after the president’s admission.
Ramaphosa did not deny or admit to emboldening racism by being accommodative of the likes of Musk but hit back at Malema telling the EFF leader not to try and drive a wedge between him and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola.
“Honourable Malema, there’s one thing I will never allow, never. Don’t try and cause tension between the president and his minister. How we work is not your business but you’re trying to meddle in our affairs, when we meet whether in cabinet or whatever meetings you are not there so you don’t know how we work. The minister always briefs me when he does his things meeting with people and when I do things and talk to people I inform him after so I am not going to let you come between us,” said Ramaphosa in his rebuttal delivered mostly in Sesotho.
Ramaphosa also admitted to meeting with the Head of Israeli Mossad Mr David Barnea in September 2024.
The president made the admission while responding to a question by National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams who suggested doing so would have constituted some kind of betrayal of South Africa’s anti Israel stance.
Ramaphosa said there was nothing unusual about the meeting as South Africa “met many people” who sit on opposite ends of conflicts citing as examples ongoing wars in Gaza as well as in Ukraine which he said the country had a duty to mediate in.
The President was also pressed by Action SA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip who wanted to know when will the government be sending an envoy to Washington adding the country was being misrepresented by the likes of Afriforum and DA who have been in the forefront of a misinformation campaign about among others non existent farm murders and land dispossession against white Afrikaners.