• BombOmOm@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      edit-2
      14 hours ago

      https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/starlink-is-not-allowed-to-operate-in-south-africa-because-im-not-black-elon-musk/wrz3chh?op=1

      The article literally says South Africa bans Starlink due to the race of the owner. As his race does not meet South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations:

      Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Musk’s SpaceX, has been unable to enter the South African market due to the country’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations. These laws require that companies providing communication services be at least 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups to receive an operating license.

      • Xuderis@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        3 hours ago

        The regulation states:

        Equality 8. (1) Every person shall have the right to equality before the law and to equal protection of the law. (2) No person shall be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly, and, without derogating from the generality of this provision, on one or more of the following grounds in particular: race, gender, sex, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture or language. (3) (a) This section shall not preclude measures designed to achieve the adequate protection and advancement of persons or groups or categories of persons disadvantaged by unfair discrimination, in order to enable their full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. (b) Every person or community dispossessed of rights in land before the commencement of this Constitution under any law which would have been inconsistent with subsection (2) had that subsection been in operation at the time of the dispossession, shall be entitled to claim restitution of such rights subject to and in accordance with sections 121, 122 and 123. (4) Prima facie proof of discrimination on any of the grounds specified in subsection (2) shall be presumed to be sufficient proof of unfair discrimination as contemplated in that subsection, until the contrary is established.

        Source: https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1993-200.pdf

        “Black Economic Empowerment” does not mean “no whites”. It means “blacks need to be part of the economy”. BLM does not mean “white lives do not matter”. It means “blacks shouldn’t be dying”. Feminism does not mean “women should be held above men”. It means “women should be treated equally”.

        The only thing excluding Musk: he isn’t part of a marginalized group. He’s a billionaire. He isn’t marginalized.

      • The Octonaut@mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        37
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        13 hours ago

        So he can still own it as a white man so long as he allows 30% to be owned by someone black, Cape Malay, Indian, San, KhoiKhoi or ‘coloured’, or indeed many people fitting any of those.

        Not because he “isn’t black”.

        Lots of countries have rules about local ownership; eg in Thailand businesses and properties have to be 51% owned by a Thai person. Of course the difference here is that for centuries the rules were increasingly enforced to treat certain races as foreigners, to the point of quite literally trying to declare parts of itself independent ie foreign. This creates a weird scenario after the fall of apartheid that is definitely uncomfortable to read but how do you undo centuries of this with carrot instead of stick when it’s people like Musk and Peter Thiel?

        • BombOmOm@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          8
          ·
          edit-2
          3 hours ago

          Under current conditions Starlink cannot exist in South Africa. If we change a single variable, Musk’s race to black, then Starlink can exist in South Africa (it would be >30% owned by a black person).

          South Africa is discriminating based on race.

          • The Octonaut@mander.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 hour ago

            Sure. We can also change a single variable and have him sell 30% of it. And now he can be an apartheid nepo-baby and still run a telecommunications company in the nation his father helped to devastate.

            What’s your point?

            • BombOmOm@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              16 minutes ago

              We can also change a single variable and have him sell 30% of it.

              And if he sells 30% of it to people of ‘the wrong race’, South Africa still won’t allow in the company. The critical variable is the race of the owner(s); South Africa is demonstrably discriminating based on race.