Leon Schreiber addressed what he perceived as an underlying political motive.
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber has accused Julius Malema of hiding behind him after the EFF leader’s “hateful and violent rhetoric” directed at certain segments of South African society.
The accusation came in Schreiber’s parliamentary response to a question from EFF MP Thapelo Mogale regarding the citizenship status of several high-profile individuals, including tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk was born in the South Africa but moved to North America in the late 1980s.
EFF citizenship status question to Schreiber
Mogale asked whether Elon Musk, Deon Barnard, Peter Andreas Thiel, and David Oliver Sacks hold South African citizenship.
He further inquired if the minister would consider revoking their citizenship under section 8(2)(b) of the South African Citizenship Act, given their alleged connections to U.S. President Donald Trump, their funding of his presidential campaign, and their supposed contribution to diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the United States.
In his response, Schreiber explained that such information falls under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia).
“As part of such request, the Department requires the provision of the full personal particulars, including the identity number, alternatively the date of birth, of the person in question, in order to determine the sokonnect status of any individual holding South African citizenship or granted citizenship through the naturalisation process,” Schreiber stated.
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Schreiber alleges political motivation
The minister then directly addressed what he perceived as the underlying political motivation behind Mogale’s question.
“As I have indicated in response to similar previous requests, the Department of Home Affairs will not weaponise the law to pursue political ends. Instead of being based on politics, our decisions are informed by the requirements of the Constitution, the rule of law, rationality, and just administrative action,” Schreiber declared.
He went further, suggesting that the question was prompted by concerns over potential repercussions facing Malema.
“It furthermore appears that the Honourable Member was motivated to submit this particular question out of fear for the repercussions that his party leader may soon face for the years of hateful and violent rhetoric he has directed at certain segments of our society.”
Schreiber advised that rather than “seeking to cower behind the Minister of Home Affairs in an ill-fated attempt to escape from the possible consequences of his actions,” Malema should “apologise for his inflammatory and divisive rhetoric, and to meaningfully commit to a programme of restitution and nation building.”
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Ongoing Musk-Malema feud
While not explicitly confirmed in Schreiber’s response, his comments appear to reference the ongoing public feud between Musk and Malema.
The tech billionaire recently called for Malema to be declared an international criminal and has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that a genocide is occurring in South Africa.
Musk previously alleged that Malema was “calling for the genocide of the four million whites living in South Africa” and would likely become the country’s leader “in a few months.”
In 2023, Musk criticised Malema for chanting “kill the Boer” during the EFF’s 10th birthday celebration.
The Tesla CEO has been an outspoken critic of South African politics, particularly expressing outrage over the recently-signed Expropriation Act.
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Malema’s response
In response to Musk’s criticisms, Malema has remained defiant.
During their recent exchange, the EFF leader stated he was not intimidated by calls for sanctions against him.
“I really think you have entirely lost your left brain: a typical spoiled brat and direct beneficiary of Apartheid whiteness,” Malema responded to Musk.
“I don’t care about your sanctions; I will never stop fighting for black people to be equal to white people, and if that makes me an international criminal, I am proud to be one,” he added.
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