Cartoon of the day: 26 May 2025
President Cyril Ramaphosa has a long to-do list already!
President Cyril Ramaphosa will add several issues brought up by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to his already long and complex list.
The two presidents met in the White House last week, where 'white genocide', trade, infrastructure, and crime were discussed.
Speaking to the media over the weekend, Ramaphosa said he would deal with the issues raised.
'All these issues will be duly addressed properly.'
These will be added to a list of crises already plaguing the country, including gender-based violence, economic stagnation, a water crisis, and rifts in the ruling government of national unity (GNU) coalition.
Ramaphosa described the meeting with Trump as fruitful.
'We were able to have a robust engagement with Trump, and it was also good to have a number of members of the delegation to field either a number of questions or make comments. So, that in my view, it was really good.'
The fight over Starlink
While Ramaphosa said bending local employment equity laws for Starlink was not discussed, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi recently gazetted regulations that make it possible for the company to operate here without having to adhere to BEEE policies.
SA-born billionaire Elon Musk is the founder of the internet service and has been a vocal critic of the policies.
READ MORE: Malatsi's move 'a shameless sellout to American oligarchs Musk and Trump'
Speaking over the weekend, EFF leader Julius Malema said Starlink should not be allowed to work in South Africa without playing by exisiting rules.
'[Government] wants to relax B-BBEE laws for Musk to operate in South Africa. There is not such a law in our country.'
The African Transformation Movement also condemned what it called 'the ANC-DA coalition's latest act of betrayal against the people of South Africa'.
The party said Malatsi's idea was 'a shameless sellout to American oligarchs Musk and US President Donald Trump – a move that spits in the face of our nation's transformation agenda'.
NOW READ: WATCH: Malema not 'intimidated' by Trump's call for his arrest
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