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As Space X’s Starlink continues to battle for entry into South Africa, the country’s fourth-largest political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters has warned it will never allow Musk’s Starlink satellite service to be launched in the country. The party has long warred with South African born billionaire Elon Musk.
EFF MP Sinawo Thambo said in an address to parliament on Friday, at the department of communications and digital technologies’ budget vote debate, that his party vehemently objected to plans to introduce equity equivalence investment programmes in the ICT sector.
“This is a proposal we’ve objected to, because the so-called alignment would require an amendment to legislation, and this cannot be achieved through a ministerial policy directive,” Thambo claimed in his speech.
By Gamuchirai Mapako
“In our view, this is all in service of allowing Starlink to operate in South Africa, and we must be clear that we will never allow Starlink, which has weaponised misinformation and captured the White House, to erode US and South African diplomatic relations in order to ease business access in South Africa,” he said.
He accused the tech giant of economic and diplomatic terrorism adding:
“…even if Starlink were to meet equity equivalence requirements, there’s a security threat that it poses that [means it] must never be allowed to operate in South Africa, and we will never allow it to do so,” he threatened.
South Africa is one the approximately 22 countries where Starlink is not operational yet. Although Musk accused South Africa of racially profiling him and denying his company entry, the government explained their current licensing rules which compel companies seeking licences through communications regulator Icasa to sell 30% of their equity to black investors. Some foreign companies are precluded from doing this, or choose not to, and the proposed changes to the licensing regime would allow them to make investments in areas like skills development instead.
However, Starlink, has repeatedly maintained it is keen to invest in the country but not if it has to sell 30% of the equity in its South African operation. Musk himself has objected the rules, saying they prevent him from launching Starlink “because I’m not black”. Recently Starlink offered a R500 million deal to the country to push the entry.
Pambo however didn’t elaborate on his threat, or how exactly the EFF would attempt to prevent Starlink’s launch in South Africa should it be granted a licence to operate locally.
Musk and EFF leader Julius Malema have long traded barbs on Musk’s social media platform, X.
Among other posts attacking Malema, the South African-born billionaire has accused the firebrand politician of inciting “white genocide”, specifically citing examples where Malema led chants like “shoot to kill” and “kill the boer, kill the farmer”. He has called for Malema to be sanctioned and declared an international criminal”.
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