Latest news with #Mokonyane
IOL News
24-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
ANC denies easing B-BBEE rules to benefit Elon Musk, denounces Trump's ‘white genocide' as a comedy
ANC first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane has rejected suggestions that B-BBEE reforms aim to ease Starlink's entry into South Africa. Image: File The meeting, which was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Trump, involved Rupert urging officials to fast-track Starlink's launch, citing economic stagnation and rising crime. 'We need Starlink in South Africa,' Rupert said, emphasising the importance of technological advancement for the country's future. Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), gazetted the policy direction on the role of investment programmes (EElPs) in the ICT sector, saying they are tools to accelerate broadband access. Mokonyane emphasised that the meeting was intended to mend strained relations between the two countries and had achieved its goal. 'We emphasised continuously that we believe in proper diplomatic communication, and this has happened." According to her, Ramaphosa was invited by Trump, and the two leaders engaged in discussions alongside their respective delegates. 'And of importance, the President was not chased away, the President didn't walk away," Mokonyane said. "He, together with the delegation, affirmed the issues that even President Trump himself was misleading the world about because it was totally disinformation, actually the showing off of pictures and information that has got nothing to do with South Africa, that has got nothing to do with redress, that has got nothing to do with racism." She described the closed-door talks as productive, adding that discussions around Trump's participation in the upcoming G20 are ongoing and that Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau is continuing related negotiations. Mokonyane has also vehemently rejected Trump's repeated claims of 'white genocide' in South Africa. 'And of importance, the issues about the notion of genocide. Whether it's genocide, we've got the courts of the world, that those matters must actually be filed. But we now know it was just a comedy, nothing that has to do with South Africa, nothing that has to do with white farmers in South Africa.' This comes after Trump ambushed Ramaphosa during a tense exchange with a series of contested claims about the killings of white farmers in South Africa, referring to it as white genocide. Trump asked for a montage of video clips to be played, which showed Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema chanting 'Kill the Boer' and footage that showed rows of crosses, which Trump said were the graves of white people. "People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they're being killed," Trump said. Responding to the footage, Ramaphosa asked Trump if he knew this was, saying he had never seen it before. Trump insisted it was in South Africa. Meanwhile, when asked if ANC officials had received feedback from the US visit suggesting Musk was involved in the discussions, Mokonyane dismissed the idea. 'We have the privilege of having the President, who is the President of the ANC, and the Minister of International Relations, who actually acted like a diplomat, who has also confirmed that what happened in closed doors had nothing to do with Elon Musk, had nothing to do with Starlink. In fact, it was never a matter in those deliberations,' she said. Mokonyane also rejected speculation that the recent policy direction was aimed at helping Musk secure a license. 'South Africa cannot create laws specifically for Elon Musk. We know that even with the World Cup, the amendment of the legal framework had to do with what is good for South Africa,' she said. She added that Parliament must now play its role. 'We should actually allow a situation where the Portfolio Committee, as it has committed, must actually summon the Minister and let the Minister come and account and explain himself. Because there is also a misunderstanding of what his powers are,' Mokonyane added. The EFF, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), including the ANC Youth League have rrejected a gazetted policy proposal to ease Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements for the licensing of satellite communication services, such as Musk's Starlink. [email protected] IOL Politics Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
Russia Today
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
South Africa is not ‘anti-America'
The ANC's first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has slammed AfriForum and the DA's visits to the US, labelling it as bullying and disrespecting the country's independence. Speaking at the sidelines of the party's National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held in the Free State on Monday, Mokonyane echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa's words that they will not be 'bullied'. Mokonyane said that they were not 'anti-America' like the Americans say, but boldly clarified that they would not be subjected to bullying. 'We are not anti-America, what we are anti is bullying, what we are anti, is disrespect of sovereignty, what we are anti, is a situation where a minority believes they can create instability in this country by going and meet (President Donald) Trump's administration. '… we don't even know who they met by the way those who went, even the DA has not told us who they met, they keep saying we met senior people. We have an ambassador who talks with the administration,' she said. Mokonyane added the option of South Africa sending a delegation to the US to explain themselves on the concerns over the Expropriation Act has not been put aside. 'We are also yet to receive formal communication on these things you find on tweets,' she said. Recently, the DA embarked on a week-long working visit to the US to meet with Trump's administration to address diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US. This is after AfriForum also went to the US to request Trump to punish the ANC politicians for their policies, particularly the Expropriation Act. This led to Trump halting financial aid to the country and also offering Afrikaners refugee status in the US. The party expressed its full support for Ramaphosa and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola in their management of the current strained relations between the United States and South Africa. Mokonyane also applauded the South African government for its approach to the matter, saying it was smart and published by IOL
