President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation, insisting it is aimed at correcting historical injustices, not promoting racism, as billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk escalates his criticism of the policy.

Musk has been vocal in his rejection of South Africa’s BEE laws, claiming he is being barred from operating Starlink in the country because he is not black.

Speaking during a recent engagement, Ramaphosa said he pays “very little attention” to Musk’s remarks on X, maintaining that South Africa’s laws are grounded in fairness and the Constitution.

“Our laws are not racist,” Ramaphosa said. “They are empowerment laws that are meant to uplift people who were discriminated against in the past.”

He stressed that apartheid-era policies explicitly excluded black South Africans, particularly Africans, coloureds and Indians, while also disadvantaging women across racial groups. According to the President, current legislation is designed to reverse those inequalities.

“To address the imbalances of the past, the Constitution empowers us to pass laws that are empowering, not racist,” he said.

Ramaphosa also criticised what he described as a selective narrative, arguing that critics often overlook the explicitly race-based laws of apartheid, which dictated where people could live, work and participate in the economy.

He added that foreign companies operating in South Africa are still able to comply with BEE through alternative “equity equivalent” programmes, including investments in enterprise development, education and community initiatives.

Ramaphosa said hundreds of multinational firms, including major US companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and General Electric, already comply with South African regulations when doing business locally.

However, Musk has sharply rejected Ramaphosa’s defence in a post on X, describing the laws in stark terms.

“The South African laws are literally super racist, plain and simple,” Musk wrote.

“It’s not complicated: imagine if the law were called ‘White Empowerment’, instead of ‘Black Empowerment’! People would have a seizure”

He went further, claiming: “South Africa now has more anti-White laws than Apartheid had anti-Black laws… The current South African government has objectively implemented Apartheid 2.0. Shame on them.”

The South African laws are literally super racist, plain and simple.

It’s not complicated: imagine if the law was called “White Empowerment”, instead of “Black Empowerment”! People would have a seizure 😂

South Africa now has more anti-White laws than Apartheid had anti-Black… https://t.co/ajsumaI4VI

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 15, 2026

Ramaphosa, meanwhile, reiterated that BEE is intended to benefit all South Africans who were disadvantaged by past policies, including women across racial groups.

“We want to empower all those who were held back by the laws of the past,” he said.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has reason to believe that the life of a witness in the case against a corruption-accused businessman in Cape Town is in danger.  

Bail proceedings in the case against Shaun Roos, who allegedly tried to bribe a City official, were meant to continue with arguments on Wednesday.  

However, the State said it became privy to information of a threat to a witness’s life and requested a postponement to the bail application matter. 

According to the NPA spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, the State said a witness claimed that Roos had “got prison gang members to kidnap” the individual. 

“The State revealed that it has an affidavit where the witness indicated that the accused got prison gang members to kidnap the witness. There is a recording of this,” said Ntabazalila.  

Roos’ legal team, however, discredited the threat, and opposed the State’s request for a postponement. It argued that the State could not show when, where and who put the witness’s life in danger, adding that “she faced cases at the Bluedowns and Cape Town Magistrate’s Court”. 

“It opposed the application as it felt it was not in the interest of justice,” said Ntabazalila.  

The court allowed the State to add this new evidence to the case and postponed the matter to next Tuesday for the defence to respond. 

“The case was then postponed until 21 April 2026 for the defence to indicate whether it will respond to the statement/ affidavit of the IO on the threat of the witness.” 

Roos, who owns the construction company Triple C Maintenance and Services, allegedly attempted to halt an investigation into tender fraud by offering money to City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo. 

READ MORE: Corruption-accused businessman claims City official tried to bribe him – Smile 90.4FM

President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended his decision to appoint veteran politician Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s new ambassador to the United States, amid mixed reactions from across the political spectrum.

The Presidency confirmed Meyer’s appointment to several media houses on Tuesday, filling a key diplomatic post that has remained under scrutiny since former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was expelled by the administration of Donald Trump just over a year ago.

Meyer, who served as a Member of Parliament between 1979 and 1997, is widely known for his role as the National Party government’s chief negotiator during talks that led to the end of apartheid.

He later co-founded the United Democratic Movement alongside Bantu Holomisa, and went on to serve in the first post-1994 Cabinet under former President Nelson Mandela.

Ramaphosa stands by decision

Speaking on the sidelines of a National Local Economic Development summit in Boksburg, Ramaphosa said Meyer’s experience and political background make him well-suited for the role.

The president stressed that Meyer is “well attuned” to South Africa’s policies and governance approach, adding that criticism over his political affiliations is not new.

Ramaphosa noted that Meyer had previously faced backlash for joining the African National Congress (ANC), but remains confident in his ability to represent the country effectively on the global stage.

Critics question political appointment

However, the appointment has drawn criticism from some quarters, particularly over concerns that the role should have gone to a career diplomat.

Kallie Kriel of AfriForum argued that South Africa needs a “principled ambassador” capable of engaging the United States in the country’s best interests, rather than what he described as another ANC-aligned deployment.

Kriel questioned Meyer’s consistency, citing his political shifts over the years as evidence of a lack of steadfastness.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also rejected the appointment, dismissing claims that it represents experience or stability.

In a statement, the party accused the government of attempting to appease perceived “white power structures” in the United States by selecting a figure it believes would be more acceptable to them.

Similarly, the Activists and Citizens Forum labelled the move “an insult” to anti-apartheid struggle veterans. The group’s Dennis Bloem criticised the selection of a former apartheid-era figure, arguing that younger and more representative leaders were overlooked.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has defended the appointment, describing it as “tactically sound.”

Mbalula took aim at AfriForum, suggesting the group was unhappy that an Afrikaner would challenge narratives such as claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Holomisa, now Deputy Minister of Defence and leader of the UDM, also expressed strong support for Meyer.

He highlighted Meyer’s role in the negotiations that ended apartheid and his experience in government, saying these credentials make him well-equipped to handle the diplomatic post.