Di racial kasala between Musk and South Africa over Starlink

BBC News

16-04-2025

Di kasala between Starlink boss Elon Musk and South Africa ova failure of di company to launch stems for di kontri from di black empowerment laws of di kontri fit be one factors wey dey behind di diplomatic issues between di US and South Africa
For im more dan 219 million followers for im social media platform X, Mr Musk bin make di racially charged claim say im satellite internet service provider "no dey allowed to operate for South Africa simply becos I no be black".
But di Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) - one regulatory body for di telecommunications and broadcasting sectors - tell di BBC say Starlink bin neva submit any application to get licence.
As for di foreign ministry, e tok say di company bin dey welcome to operate for di kontri "so far as dem follow local laws".
So wetin be di legal sticking points?
To operate for South Africa, Starlink need to get network and service licences, di two of dem require 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups.
Dis mainly refer to di majority black population for South Africa wey dem remove from di company during di racist system of apartheid.
White-minority rule bin end for 1994 afta Nelson Mandela and im African National Congress (ANC) enta power.
Since den, di ANC don make "black empowerment" one central pillar of di economic policy to try to tackle di racial injustices of di past.
Dis bin include adopting legislation ey require investors to give local black firms [companies] 30% stake for dia businesses for South Africa.
Mr Musk - wey dem born for South Africa for 1971 bifor im move to Canada for di late 1980s and den to di US, wia im become di richest man for di world - be like say im see dis as di main stumbling block for Starlink to operate for di kontri.
Starlink, for one written submission to Icasa, bin tok say, di black empowerment provisions for legislation exclude "many" foreign satellite operators from di South African market, according to local news site TechCentral.
But foreign ministry tok-tok pesin Clayson Monyela bin challenge dis view for March, e tok on X say more dan 600 US companies, including computing giant Microsoft, bin dey operate for South Africa in compliance wit di laws - and "thriving" [dem dey do well].
Attempts dey to end di problem?
Mr Musk Starlink get potential ally for South Africa Communications Minister Solly Malatsi.
Im come from di Democratic Alliance (DA) - di second-biggest party for South Africa - wey bin join di coalition goment afta di ANC bin fail to get a parliamentary majority for last year election.
Di DA na ogbonge critic of di current black empowerment laws, e claim say dem don make di appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to dia qualifications worse, and corruption wit investors wey dey forced to link up wit ANC-connected companies to operate for South Africa or to win state contracts.
Last October, Malatsi bin hint say im bin dey look for way to go about di 30% black equity requirement.
E say im bin wan issue a "policy direction" to Icasa wit di aim of clarifying "di position on di recognition of equity equivalent programmes".
To break am down, Malatsi dey suggest say Starlink no go require black business partner for South Africa, though dem need to invest in social programmes wey go benefit black pipo - especially di poor.
But some six months later, Malatsi don fail to change di policy, tok-tok pesin for im department tell di BBC say dia legal team bin still dey chook eye into di mata.
E be like say di communications minister fit dey face political resistance from ANC lawmakers for parliament.
Khusela Diko, di chairpesin of di parliamentary communications committee wey be Malatsi oga, bin don warn am earlier dis month say "transformation" for di tech sector dey non-negotiable, e be like say im no ant make dem give Mr Musk Starlink any special treatment.
Diko tok say "di law dey clear on compliance" im add as im dey warn, say "to cut corners and to follow backyard no dey di option - di least of all na to appease business interests".
Diko tough position dey come as no surprise, as relations between di South African goment and di US don hit rock bottom during US President Donald Tump second term.
Why dia relations no dey good again?
Mr Musk, wey be part of Trump inner circle, bin dey para on X against wetin im call "racist ownership laws" for South Africa, while di US president bin threaten to boycott di G20 summit of world leaders wey go happun for di kontri later dis year.
"How we go dey expected to go to South Africa for di very important G20 Meeting wen Land Confiscation and Genocide na di primary topic of conversation? Dem dey take di land of white Farmers, and den kill dem and dia families," Trump tok for im social media platform Truth Social.
Im claims of genocide against white farmers don dey widely dismissed as false, but dem dey echo those of di tech billionaire.
Last month, Mr Musk bin accuse "one major" political party for South Africa - a reference to di radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), wey be fourth for last year election - say dem dey "actively promote white genocide".
"One month ago, di South African goment bin pass law wey legalise taking property from white pipo at will, wit no payment," Mr Musk tok.
"Wia di outrage dey? Why di legacy media no cover am?
South Africa pass law earlier dis year wey allow di goment to seize property witout compensation, but only for certain cases.
Wit all dis, Musk link dis issues to im failure to get a licence for Starlink.
"Starlink no go fit get license to operate for South Africa simply becos I no be black." im bin tok for March.
Im hard-line stance dey come despite meeting South Africa president for New York last year.
Dat time, Mr Musk bin describe di meeting as "great", while President Cyril Ramaphosa bin tok say im bin don try to persuade di billionaire to invest for South Africa.
"To meeting Elon Musk na my clear intention... Some pipo call am bromance, so na a whole process of rekindling im affection and connection wit South Africa," Ramaphosa bin tell South Africa public broadcaster, SABC.
But im add say dem neva "conclude anytin yet".
"As e dey happun wit potential investors, you need to be friends wit dem; you need to dey tok to dem, and you get to dey show dem say beta environment dey for dem to invest. So, we go see how dis one turn out," di president tok.
"Im be South African-born and South Africa na im home, and I want to see am come to South Africa for a visit, tour or whatever."
But di "bromance" don end since, as e be like say Mr Musk dey move closer to South Africa right wing.
Starlink bin don get problems anywia for Africa?
E be like say Lesotho don bow to pressure from di Trump administration as dem announce on Monday say dem don give 10-year licence to Starlink.
Dis dey come afta Trump sama 50% tariff on imports from Lesotho, wey threaten thousands of jobs for di kontri.
Later, Trump pause am for 90 days, but e still sama dem 10% tariff wey start on 5 April.
Some reports suggest say Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) bin clear regulatory hurdles to stave off di threat of any further tariff hike by granting Starlink licence.
However, Foreign Minister Lejone Mpotjoane deny di claim.
"Di licence application and di tariff negotiations dey different," im tok.
Civil society group Section Two condemn di decision to grant di licence ey bin raise concern say Starlink Lesotho was 100% foreign-owned and dem no get local ownership, na wetin South Africa GroundUp news site bin report.
"Di best way to describe dis kain action na betrayal - a shameful sell-out by a goment wey appear to increasingly dey ready to place foreign corporate interests above di democratic will and long-term developmental needs of di pipo of Lesotho," na wetin dem say Section Two co-ordinator Kananelo Boloetse tok.
During public consultations ova Starlink application, Vodacom Lesotho bin also argue say make Mr Musk company establish local shareholding bifor dem receive licence, di Space in Africa website report.
"Dis concerns highlight broader tensions wey dey surround Starlink operations across Africa, particularly di growing demand for local partnerships," e add..
Starlink also appear to dey seek an exemption for Namibia from di requirement to bring in a local partner.
Namibia na former colony of Germany, and bin dey under di rule of South Africa white-minority regime until dem gain independence for 1990.
Dem get more tougher requirement dan dia post-apartheid neighbour, wit businesses wey dey operate for Namibia go need to be 51% locally owned.
Di Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) tell di BBC say Starlink bin submit application for o telecommunications service licence for June 2024.
Cran say while dis process usually dey take between three to six months, dem neva take any decison yet becos dem "must first wait to finalise di ownership exemption application" by Namibia information and communication technology minister.
How big Starlink presence be for Africa?
Starlink dey operate for more dan 20 African kontris, wit Somalia, wey dey suffer from Islamist insurgency - give am10-year licence on 13 April, two days bifor Lesotho decide to give dem too.
"We welcome Starlink entry to Somalia. Dis initiative align wit our vision to deliver affordable and accessible internet services to all Somalis, regardless of wia dem dey live," Technology Minister Mohamed Adam Moalim Ali tok.
Starlink go provide high-speed internet services to remote or underserved areas, e go be a potential game-changer for rural areas wey no fit access traditional forms of connectivity such as mobile broadband and fibre.
Dis na beco Starlink, instead of relying on fibre optics or cables to transmit data, dey use a network of satellites for low Earth orbit. Becos dem dey closer to di ground, dem get faster transmission speeds dan traditional satellites.
Nigeria na di first African state to allow Starlink to operate, for 2023. Di company since dat time don grown into di second-biggest internet service provider for di most-populous kontri for Africa.
But Starlink no still get any presence for South Africa - di most industrialised nation for di continent.
Enterprising locals bin don find way to connect to di service by using regional roaming packages wey dem bin buy for kontris wia di service bin dey available.
Starlink end am last year while Icasa bin also warn local companies say anybody wey dem catch, wey dey provide di service illegally fit face hefty fine.
Yet wit an estimated 20% of South Africans not having access to di internet at all - many in rural areas - e fit dey beneficial for both Starlink and di goment to reach a compromise.
For Starlink e fit bring more market, while satellite broadband fit help di goment achieve dia goal of providing universal internet access by 2030.
On Monday, Ramaphosa bin appoint former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas as im special envoy to di US, signalling im determination to mend relations wit di Trump administration.
But Jonas appointment face backlash for right-wing circles, as for one 2020 speech im bin call Trump a "racist homophobe" and a "narcissistic right-winger".
For one interview on di Money Show podcast, Jonas bin tok say im bin make di comments wen im bin no dey goment and "pipo move on".
Im bin acknowledge say e go be a "long slog to rebuild understanding", but im add say South Africa relationship wit di US bin dey "fundamentally important" and im dey determined to improve am.
Jonas' comments no dey surprising as di US na major trading partner for South Africa. Wit Trump wey threaten a 30% tariff on dia goods, Ramaphosa no go fit afford to see relations continue to spoil and di economy dey go downward.