Elon Musk — By: Edmond Koech

Elon Musk is an American, one of his parents is in fact South African while the other is Canadian. This is how he has always identified himself. He has stated that while he was born in South Africa, he is in fact American. And necessarily so, he has invested his resources in his country - America. He does not concern himself with the affairs of South Africa. He does not inject funds for its development or more crucially. Africans insist on claiming him. We are forcing our Africa on him. Effectively, we are more invested in claiming a White man born to a Canadian mother and a South African father, who wants nothing to do with us, who doesn't identify as one of us - than we are in claiming a Black man born in Kenya, Congo, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana or anywhere else in Africa, who has dedicated his entire life to our country. We want to be associated with a Musk who wants no association with us, but refuse association with people who want to be associated with us. Elon Musk is more a foreigner in South Africa than a Mozambican, Zambian or Zimbabwean who has been here for the last 20 years. Even if the latter has no citizenship, they're more South African and have done more for South Africa than Musk has, despite the latter having greater ability. Growing up has taught me that most Africans are not fighting against a construct that breeds Whiteness, we are fighting for proximity to it. We aren't fighting the system, we are fighting to benefit from it. And this is why we identify more with a White American billionaire who wants nothing to do with us than an ordinary Black African who gives so much to this country. The stench of colonialism reeks in this country. It permeates the atmosphere like coiling miasma.