Solly Malatsi, the communications minister of South Africa, is being sued for proposing changes to regional ownership laws that some claim favor foreign tech companies like Starlink.
The secretary is” seeking to weaken hard-won change goals,” according to Khusela Sangoni Diko, chairman of the profile council on communications and digital technologies.
” These proposed guidelines and restrictions appear to be an attempt to undermine independence policy by using force,” Diko said in a statement.
At least 30 % of any communications service provider must be owned by previously underrepresented groups in order for the state to be granted a license. Despite operating in 17 various American nations, including Namibia and Botswana, this condition has so far prevented Starlink from entering the South American market.
According to a report from Reuters, Starlink’s family company, SpaceX, complained to ICASA, South Africa’s communications regulator, that local rights laws posed a significant challenge. The business suggested introducing capital equivalent programs as an alternative and urged the regulator to evaluate the 30 % ownership requirement for owners.
In response to this, secretary Malatsi announced plans to develop a policy recommendation to recognize programs in the ICT market that are capital equivalent. He claimed that the move may promote wifi access and facilitate international business investment in South Africa.
Musk claimed in March that Starlink was prohibited from operating in South Africa because he was” no Black,” and that he had criticised the South African government.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump, both of whom are US presidents, have been accusing the South African government of” light genocide” and focused farm problems. They contend that Afrikaners, who are descended from Dutch and French settlers, are unfairly targeted by South Africa’s Black-led state.
