Elon Musk’s departure from US politics may offer South Africa a shot at reform if he returns with his disruptive energy and ideas.
The bromance between Donald Trump and tech mega-billionaire Elon Musk hit the rocks this week, when Musk left his job as head of the department of government expenditure (Doge), accusing the US president of increasing the country’s deficit rather than reducing it as he promised.
Musk has a point about Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” – which offers sprawling tax relief and spending cuts and is the centrepiece of his domestic agenda.
But, according to AFP, critics warn it will decimate health care and balloon the national deficit by as much as $4 trillion (about R71.5 trillion) over a decade.
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However, there’s no doubt the SA-born oligarch underestimated the global backlash which followed his commitment to Trump and then with his wild moves at Doge and what looked suspiciously like a Nazi salute at a public rally.
Sales of his Tesla electric vehicles have gone flat across the globe as buyers baulked at the anti-green, fascist-leaning actions of the new regime in Washington.
Musk will, no doubt, bounce back from this ill-considered foray into right-wing politics.
But, if you are at a loose end, Elon, come home for a while, set up Starlink (if the ANC lets you) and take your chainsaw to our bloated government.
