Malatsi to appear before Parliament committee over new draft ICT policy

JOHANNESBURG - Communications Minister, Solly Malatsi could be in for a grilling in Parliament after the communications portfolio committee summoned him over a directive that could see billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink land in South Africa.

This, after Malatsi’s department published a policy directive for public comment last week, sparking speculation that government had been swayed to bend the rules for Musk.

If passed, the policy will loosen Affirmative Action laws requiring foreign investors in telecoms to sell 30% of equity in their local entity to historically disadvantaged groups in order to qualify for operating licences.

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies said the proposed policy is not meant to subvert the country’s transformation agenda.

Instead, it would include a clause for companies to take part in equity equivalence programmes.

This would see foreign firms invest in programmes geared towards equity, skills development and economic inclusion.

In a statement published on X, communications portfolio committee chairperson Khusela Diko, said Malatsi must come before parliament to account for what she said appears to be a contravention of the Electronic Communications Act.

Diko further described it as attempts to circumvent the law through policy directives not worth the paper they are written on and a glaring invitation for litigation.

In a reply on X, Malatsi said he would honour the invitation for Tuesday's meeting.

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