South African lawmakers seek halt to easing rules for Starlink

The parliamentary committee that oversees South Africa’s telecommunications industry called for the withdrawal of a policy directive that would enable Elon Musk’s SpaceX and other satellite-internet companies to operate in the country without ceding ownership.

Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi last week published an official notice asking the industry regulator to amend its rules to allow equity-equivalent investment programs to count toward empowerment, rather than insisting only on a 30% local Black-ownership requirement.

The directive came after a public-consultation process in which he said 90% of submissions supported the decision.

Amendments along the lines of those proposed by Malatsi would open the way for Musk to make Starlink services available in the country.

The Pretoria-born billionaire has refused to relinquish any equity in the business to comply with rules that South Africa enacted to redress the economic imbalances wrought by apartheid — laws Musk has called “openly racist.”