Is Elon Musk’s Starlink finally set to launch in South Africa?
The EFF says Ramaphosa lacks the authority to sidestep essential BEE laws, in response to reports that Elon Musk’s Starlink will begin operating in South Africa.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned reports claiming that President Cyril Ramaphosa plans to offer regulatory assurances to Elon Musk’s Starlink ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump this week.
On Tuesday, 20 May, Bloomberg reported that Ramaphosa, who is in the US, is set to allow Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink to launch in his [Musk] country of birth in order to ease tension and mend relations between Pretoria and Washington.
In March, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) confirmed that Starlink had not applied for an operating licence despite the tech-billionaire’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and “racism” rant suggesting it had hindered the process. BEE rules require foreign-owned telecommunications licensees to sell 30% of their local equity to historically disadvantaged groups.
WILL ELON MUSK’S STARLINK OPERATE IN SOUTH AFRICA?
In response to the reports, the EFF stated that the move violates the Constitution and reveals that Ramaphosa is willing to compromise the country’s sovereignty to appease the inflated egos of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
The party said Ramaphosa has no executive authority to unilaterally guarantee access to South Africa’s telecommunications sector, let alone bypass necessary BEE laws. Any such commitments fall squarely within the legislative domain of Parliament, not Luthuli House or the President’s delegation.
“These powers are governed by national legislation and independent regulators, not the whims of one man desperate for foreign approval. The EFF is not surprised, however, as we noted this possibility when he embarked on this ill-advised trip, and we are concerned that this as part of a broader campaign by Ramaphosa to appease the Trump administration and white capital by potentially sacrificing key transformative laws like the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act, the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, and the Expropriation Act. The EFF warns: we will resist any such betrayal of the people’s mandate, including through legal action and mass mobilisation,” the party said.
In response, Ramaphosa said South Africa is a sovereign country and a very proud nation and they will always do what’s best for South Africans.