The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) strongly condemns the reckless and inflammatory statement made by billionaire Elon Musk on his X platform, where he outrageously suggested that the President of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Member of Parliament, Julius Malema, should be declared an international criminal
SAFTU finds Musk’s comments not only deeply offensive but also a blatant affront to South Africa’s constitutional democracy. Julius Malema, like every South African, is protected by the Bill of Rights, which guarantees freedoms of speech, association, and political expression. If any South African feels aggrieved by the actions or words of an elected official, our democratic institutions such as the Public Protector, the Human Rights Commission, and our independent judiciary are fully equipped to address such grievances. Musk’s unsolicited interference undermines these constitutional mechanisms and disrespects South Africa’s sovereignty.
It is laughable and hypocritical that Musk, a citizen of a country that is not even a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC), dares to lecture South Africans on matters of international justice. The United States, Musk’s home country, has a long history of shielding itself and its allies from accountability on the international stage. The U.S. government, particularly under leaders like Donald Trump, has gone as far as sanctioning ICC officials for investigating Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. While Israel faces these grave accusations, the U.S. continues to provide relentless political cover and supplies the most sophisticated weapons used in these atrocities. What cheek for Musk to pretend to be the guardian of international law! Perhaps he should first concern himself with his own country’s blatant disregard for international institutions and its complicity in global human rights violations.
Moreover, Musk is an outspoken supporter and adviser to Donald Trump, the current President of the United States, who was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May 2024. This conviction stemmed from Trump’s involvement in a scheme to cover up hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The falsified records were related to reimbursements made to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who facilitated the payments to prevent Daniels from speaking publicly about an alleged affair. This historic conviction marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has been found guilty of a crime.
As if this criminal conviction was not enough, one of Trump’s first actions upon returning to office was to grant presidential pardons to individuals convicted of violently storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. These insurrectionists attacked democracy itself, injuring law enforcement officers and threatening elected officials in an attempt to overturn a legitimate election result. Before Musk arrogantly appoints himself as the world’s policeman, he should address the criminality and anti-democratic actions within his own political circles. Julius Malema has not been convicted of any crime, and Musk’s baseless insinuations are nothing more than a dangerous attempt to smear a democratically elected leader.
SAFTU advises Elon Musk to keep his nose out of South African politics and focus on the growing crises in the United States, from economic inequality to the erosion of democratic norms. South Africa’s democracy, though facing many challenges, does not require interference from self-important billionaires who believe their wealth entitles them to dictate global affairs.
Musk is not an international authority, and the people of South Africa will not tolerate his neo-colonial arrogance. We stand in defence of our democratic institutions, our sovereignty, and the rights of all South Africans to political expression free from foreign meddling.
A Statement was issued on behalf of SAFTU by General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
For more details, contact the National Spokesperson at:
Newton Masuku
066 168 2157
Newtonm@saftu.org.za
