Presidency on Starlink and ‘subversion of the law’, G20 contingencies and Madlanga commission reports

South Africa will welcome Starlink to the country as long as Elon Musk’s company abides by local laws, while the fight is ongoing to ensure the past 12 months of G20 engagements are not forgotten.

Spokesperson in The Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, highlighted these two points on Monday as he gave a year-end progress report.

Magwenya also elaborated on the expected timeframes applicable to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

Following an opening statement where he listed South Africa’s successes in 2025, Magwenya fielded several questions from the media.

Malatsi ‘accelerating’ processes

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi faced criticism this weekend after gazetting reforms to remove “impediments to both national and international investments” in the ICT sector.  

Friday’s gazette was seen as a way to clear a path for Starlink to operate in South Africa, but Magwenya said there were other players involved.

“We should just avoid the trap of getting fixated over Starlink. There are four or five other companies that have expressed interest in providing these services here in South Africa — it is not only Starlink.”

He stated that while Malatsi was working within the law by attempting to “accelerate those processes” regarding ICT operating licence applications, he clarified that the law was clear on equity ownership stipulations.

“What the president will not endorse, and cannot endorse, is the subversion of the law.

“In his engagements with various role players in this sector, the president has been quite clear that whatever is done must be done within the framework of our laws,” said Magwenya.

The spokesperson lashed out on Musk-owned X on Saturday, suggesting the billionaire businessman was an “unhinged, unrepentant racist” in his comments about South African laws.

G20 snub an ‘affront’

Regarding another fight rooted in the United States (US), Magwenya repeated the claim that South Africa did not need to be invited to G20 events as it was a full member.

However, South African representatives are absent from the first G20 Sherpa meeting to be in Washington DC on Monday.

“What the US is seeking to do is an affront to multilateralism. It must be challenged, and it must be rejected by all members of the G20,” said Magwenya.

The spokesperson explained that South Africa had been in touch with other G20 members to encourage them to express their support for the country in its absence, but did not ask any member to withhold their own participation.

“We were against the US boycott, and we will not promote any form of boycott. However, we will continue to advocate for the ongoing championing of the issues that were strongly surfaced at the Johannesburg summit.

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Magwenya confirmed South Africa was working hard to ensure that the themes of its G20 Presidency were not sidelined — themes of equality, solidarity and sustainability.

“Whether the US approves of those issues or not, those are issues that are important, not only to us as a country and a continent, but to the rest of the world.

“Those are issues that cannot be confined to a single-year presidency. Those are issues that need to be taken forward and engaged upon on an ongoing basis,” he stated.

Madlanga Commission far from done

Domestically, President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to receive an interim report from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on 17 December.

Magwenya confirmed the final report from the commission will be released to the public, but the interim report will not be released as the information contained is premature.

“Some of the witnesses that have come before the commission are going to be called back again to continue with their evidence.

“Some had evidence located in certain specific areas, but not as broad as it was meant to be. Those witnesses are still going to be given a chance to return to the commission and give that evidence,” Magwenya explained.

Once complete, the commission will advise the president on potential national security matters, but Magwenya added that the commission already has the authority to recommend criminal proceedings before it concludes its work.

The spokesperson confirmed that Ramaphosa would be briefed on a possible extension of the inquiry, but urged the public and the media to be patient.

“It would not be helpful for the witnesses, the commission itself and for all of us to start getting ourselves into knots about something that has not been completed,” he said.

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