South African minister’s straight message to Elon Musk on Starlink: ‘We are not attempting to…’
A South African minister has stated that a recently proposed draft policy, which introduces alternatives to the country’s Black ownership requirements, is not exclusively designed to accommodate Elon Musk’s Starlink or any single entity. This clarification comes days after Musk claimed he was prevented from launching Starlink satellite internet service in his birth country due to his race, labeling South Africa’s Black empowerment laws “openly racist.” Following his remarks, reports emerged that South Africa was considering new legislation reportedly aimed at meeting Musk’s conditions for Starlink’s operation.According to a report by news agency Reuters, South African communications minister Solly Malatsi stated that the law is not exclusively designed for any single entity.“We are not attempting to open a special dispensation for Starlink or any other company or an individual,” Malatsi told a parliamentary committee.“I am pretty clear that transformation is sacrosanct in our country, that it’s a non-negotiable in order for the country to achieve its aspirations,” he affirmed.
South Africa proposes changes in draft policy
Last week, Malatsi’s department put forward a draft policy proposing the acceptance of “equity equivalent” investment programs within the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. This move could potentially encourage companies like SpaceX‘s Starlink and other foreign communication providers to operate in the country.South Africa’s Electronic Communications Act mandates that foreign-owned communications companies sell 30% of their local subsidiaries’ equity to historically disadvantaged groups in order to obtain an operating license. This particular provision has drawn criticism from various companies, including Starlink.Despite the minister’s clarifications, the draft policy has already faced pushback. Critics from the opposition and the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Diko, have argued that the proposed changes go too far in accommodating foreign businesses like Starlink.
