The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have vowed to stop Elon Musk’s Starlink from operating in South Africa at all costs.
This comes after the billionaire businessman, who hails from Pretoria, claimed he was unable to launch his internet satellite company as he was “not black”.
Musk has blamed “racist laws” like Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) for the setback. However, officials claim that Musk has refused to comply with transformative legislation, such as local shareholding ownership, which is required in the ICT sector.
EFF VOWS TO FIGHT ELON MUSK AND STARLINK
On his X account, Elon Musk again accused South Africa of discriminating against him regarding the operation of Starlink in the country.
He posted: “Starlink is not allowed to have an Internet provider license in South Africa for the sole reason that I am not black. This is not ok.”
Musk’s rant was met with little sympathy from EFF MP and spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.
Replying to Musk’s tweet, he posted: “You are lying, Starlink is not getting its license in SA because you refuse to comply with our laws.”
He added: “Regardless, it will remain our life mission to ensure that Starlink never operates in SA, despite your attempts to leverage business by peddling lies about our country”.
‘POSES SECURITY CONCERN’
Last month, EFF leader Julius Malema condemned Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi’s “unlawful” gazette in favour of a policy supporting Starlink’s operation in South Africa.
The EFF accused the minister of “subverting South African laws” in favour of Elon Musk.
He said in a statement: “This ridiculous policy directive means that companies such as Starlink would no longer need to comply with the 30% local ownership requirements which protect our local telecommunications industry, and these can be substituted for less transformative [ones], that don’t speak to ownerships such as donations of Musk’s infrastructure as he sees fit”.
The EFF claimed that it had consulted with industry stakeholders who stated that Starlink posed a threat to jobs in the ICT sector. It also claimed that the company “poses a security concern considering the hostility of Elon Musk against our nation”.
It added: “For an unrepentant racist and megalomaniac like Elon Musk to enter the telecommunications market in South Africa, granting him possible control of infrastructure in the long term, is irresponsible.”
