Musk Dodges Question About Starlink in SA Amid Ramaphosa Visit, Maintains Country Has Unfair Laws

• Elon Musk dodged a question about the possibility of Starlink being allowed to operate in South Africa
• That possibility exists as President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to discuss business opportunities with the tech billionaire
• Musk got into a tense standoff when asked about Starlink, instead focusing on SA’s current laws

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

Does Elon Musk know something about Starlink coming to South Africa?

The world’s richest man was recently quizzed about the possibility of being allowed to operate his internet satellite service in the country of his birth.

Musk avoided answering the question, instead maintaining that South Africa’s racist laws were not fair.

Musk dodges questions about Starlink in SA

With President Cyril Ramaphosa in the USA on a mission to repair relations between the two nations, his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, confirmed that talks about Starlink would take place with Musk.

During a video appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday, 21 May, Musk maintained that he could not operate in South Africa because of his race.

“I’m in a sad situation where I was born in South Africa, but I can’t get a licence to operate Starlink because I am not black. Does that seem right to you?” he asked.

The host Joumanna Bercetche then mentioned the reports and the possibility that Ramaphosa could grant Starlink a licence despite the legislation, trying to get Musk to confirm or deny it.

The Pretoria-born billionaire refused to do so, insisting that the host answer his question about whether the law seemed right to her.

When she maintained that it was not for her to answer, Musk kept on asking her why she liked racist laws.

The tense stand-off didn’t yield an answer for Bercetche, as the Tesla owner would not directly address the possibility of making a deal with the South African government.

You can watch that interaction below.

Musk has been very vocal about what he deems racist laws in South Africa, even claiming that there was a white genocide in the country. The SpaceX owner has been very critical of the land of his birth, but has attempted to get a licence for Starlink in the country.

What you need to know about Musk and South Africa

• Musk sparked controversy when he warned a female tourist about visiting South Africa alone, suggesting she would need a gun.
• Musk blamed his race as the reason why he was not awarded a licence to operate Starlink in South Africa.
• Musk’s AI feature, Grok, dispelled his claims of a white genocide taking place in South Africa.
• Musk maintains that white genocide was taking place in the country, criticising the media for not reporting it.
• Musk claimed that SA’s laws were a disgrace to Nelson Mandela’s legacy.

Ramaphosa to discuss business with Musk

Briefly News reported that South Africa’s president planned to engage with Musk during his trip to the USA.

Ramaphosa planned to talk to the tech billionaire about the possibility of Starlink being allowed to operate in South Africa.

South Africans were not impressed with the news, with many saying that Ramaphosa would sell the country.

Source: Briefly News