Communications and Digital Technology Minister Solly Malatsi has issued a policy directive that seeks to ease Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies in the ICT sector.
Maratz issued an order to SA (ICASA) Independent Communications Bureau in the government's official gazette on Friday days after President Cyril Ramaphosa met President Donald Trump and his close adviser mask.
Behind the lockdown with the Trump team, the government is believed to have allowed Starlink to pave the way for operation within the country.
Developed by SpaceX, Starlink is a satellite service designed to provide high speed, low latency Internet access, especially in remote locations. It provides broadband internet using thousands of low Earth orbit satellites that communicate with ground stations and user terminals.
Musk has refused to comply with the license terms that require foreign companies seeking to enter the ICT sector to hand over 30% stake to Black Economic Empowerment Partners.
Malatsi issued policy instructions to ICASA. This could open up a way that could pave the way for bee laws in favor of equity equivalents that allow foreign investors to enter the ICT sector to carry out activities such as investment in rural infrastructure.
In the official gazette, Malatsi said the purpose of the directive is to have an effect on existing national and sector policies regarding broadband deployment and bridge digital disparities.
He said this is necessary to encourage investments, including strategic infrastructure investments and innovation in the communications sector, to promote competition within the ICT sector and promote, promote and harmonize the achievement of the legislative objectives.
“To achieve our objectives, regulatory certainty and consistency must be applied to members of the ICT sector, including those with legal license holders.
As a result, the requirements and provisions of the law must be in harmony with other laws that apply to the recognition of ownership of members of the ICT sector, including the broad amended Black Economic Empowerment ICT Sector Code.” Read the Official Gazette.
“The achievement of the objective would require ICASA to implement certain amendments to regulations promulgated to meet the orders of other countries' laws.”
Musk used his influence with Trump to put pressure on SA to facilitate black empowerment regulations.
Trump ambushed Ramaphosa at a tense meeting in his elliptical office in Washington on Wednesday. Showing a video of EFF reader Julius Malema “Kill Bohr and kill farmers,” reciting a photo of a side cross, claiming that the road Trump misclaimed was evidence of SA's “white genocide.”
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