Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has once again berated Elon Musk’s attempt to obtain an operating licence for his internet satellite company, Starlink, in South Africa. 

This comes as the world’s richest man has continued to bemoan “racist laws” in his home country.

Musk, who hails from Pretoria, has particularly shunned Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE), which requires 30% local ownership by previously disadvantaged groups in the ICT sector.

RISE MZANSI LEADER ACCUSES ELON MUSK OF DISINFORMATION

On his X platform, Rise Mzansi’s Songezo Zibi reacted to recent tweets by Elon Musk, who has called for sanctions against South Africa over its “racist laws”.

Zibi tweeted: “The belief that we must let Elon Musk’s persistent attempts to harm SA by spreading racist misinformation and generally being vulgar slide is nuts”.

He added, “That Starlink thing must go elsewhere. Our dignity is not for sale. Asimcengi”.

Earlier this year, Zibi voiced his concerns that Starlink could pose a national security risk.

He said in a video post: “Elon Musk, through his actions, has declared himself as an enemy of South Africa’s constitutional order, of social justice, of redress, of addressing racial and social inequality in South Africa.

“He uses misinformation and disinformation in order to spread lies in the United States that are damaging, including the lie of white genocide.

Zibi accused Elon of using his influence and platform – X – to “cause division in other parts of the world”. 

Zibi continued: “He [Elon Musk] is a white supremacist. The last thing we should be doing is giving him a technological ecosystem where he has access to an internet company, so that he can use that infrastructure against the constitutional order and national stability. 

“We would be stupid to do that. It would be dangerous…when we can see what damage has been done in other parts of the world. We can’t be naive; the fight must be on this year. No Starlink in South Africa, not while it is owned by Elon Musk”.

WHAT OTHER PARTIES HAVE TO SAY…

Like Rise Mzansi, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has also vowed to fight back against granting Starlink an operating licence.

It said in a statement: “For an unrepentant racist and megalomaniac like Elon Musk to enter the telecommunications market in South Africa, granting him possible control of infrastructure in the long term, is irresponsible.”

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula responded to Musk’s call for sanctions on his X account. He tweeted: “You are deranged to say the least. How do you sanction a democratic state because you can’t get your way through? You can’t bully us, we are a sovereign country”.

Meanwhile, new Democratic Alliance federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has backed Musk’s bid.

He said in a recent interview on Newzroom Afrika: “We can have Starlink in South Africa and have better internet access. However, there are very powerful vested interests in the telecommunications industry that don’t want that because it is competition”.