Elon Musk is a 'malignant political threat', says Songezo Zibi

Elon Musk’s ambitions to bring his satellite internet service, Starlink, to South Africa should never be realised due to him being a 'malignant political threat'.

That's according to Songezo Zibi, leader of Rise Mzansi and Chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Musk has been vocal about wanting to expand Starlink’s footprint into the country of his birth, where he still holds citizenship, but has blamed 'anti-white' sentiment for why he has been unable to.

Zibi argues that licensing Starlink would undermine South Africa’s constitutional and social justice objectives.

"[Musk] has meddled in the politics of several countries. In the case of South Africa, he has consistently spread disinformation and misinformation."

Zibi says while some may take the tech billionaire's comments lightly, democracy relies on citizens having access to accurate information to make informed political decisions.

"When you have someone who has provably used his platforms to spread disinformation and hate across the world, it is a massive risk to the stability of that country."

Supporters of Starlink argue that the service could improve internet access in rural communities and underserved schools, helping bridge the digital divide.

Zibi, however, questions whether those benefits outweigh the potential long-term consequences of allowing Musk in.

"I come from a village, and that's terribly needed, but just think of the information your service cellphone provider has; when someone is a malignant political actor, like that, do you really want to give them that information?"

In 2025, Minister of Communications Solly Malatsi came under fire for his policy directive to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to allow companies like Starlink to operate without meeting certain Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirements.

Bypassing the rules would mean companies need to invest in 'equity equivalence' programmes as opposed to selling part of the business to a local Black investor in accordance with B-BBEE laws.

For more information, listen to Zibi using the audio player below: