Trump's "blackmail" tactic succeeds again: South Africa intends to relax regulations on telecom equity.

Three days after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump met at the Oval Office in the White House on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Pretoria announced on Friday, May 23, 2025, its intention to relax regulations on telecom equity in South Africa. This proposal from South Africa is seen as a signal to ease tensions with Washington, which is beneficial for Elon Musk and Starlink's development. However, some elected representatives in South Africa expressed concern about such concessions.

South Africa has taken a step towards easing tensions with the United States. Over the years, Elon Musk has complained that South Africa's telecom equity restrictions have hindered the deployment of Starlink satellite internet services. In this regard, Pretoria announced on Friday its intention to relax these regulations.

The South African Minister of Communications and Digital Technology published an opinion in the [Government Gazette] on Friday, May 23, 2025, suggesting amendments to South Africa's telecom regulations. The current regulations require companies operating in South Africa to have 30% of their equity held by "historically disadvantaged groups." This falls under a broader policy framework aimed at correcting inequalities caused by apartheid.

The same report noted that Elon Musk dislikes the current telecom regulations in South Africa and has repeatedly criticized the law for hindering the deployment of Starlink. Elon Musk once said: it was just because he wasn't black. In response, the South African government refuted this claim.

As introduced, in this new proposal, South African authorities suggest changing the regulations to allow telecom regulators to accept alternative approaches, such as investing in infrastructure projects or local businesses.

Some South African lawmakers are concerned. Such projects already have exceptions in practice. Ford and Microsoft were able to operate in South Africa as a result. Several elected representatives from different political parties have expressed their concerns about this obvious concession.

Source: rfi

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833120288291851/

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