Maimane wants clarity from Ramaphosa on Starlink's impact

BUILD One South Africa leader Mmusi Maimane wants National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to instruct President Cyril Ramaphosa to submit a written reply to the question he passed about Starlink and relaxation of black economic empowerment in ICT sector codes.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

This comes after Ramaphosa skirted around Maimane's question during a question and answer session on Tuesday. Maimane asked whether the exemption or relaxation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment regulations, which would allow Starlink to operate in South Africa, would apply equally to South African-owned companies.

When Maimane raised his concern that Ramaphosa did not answer the substance of his question, Deputy Speaker Annelie Lotriet stated that it was his prerogative to answer as he saw fit. “You can write to the president if you want further clarity,” Lotriet said.

EFF leader Julius Malema told Lotriet: “You can’t answer for the president. The president must decide whether he has answered or he thinks he can do much better,” he said.

However, Malema and Lotriet got into an argument over the exact parliamentary rule on the matter of prerogative of the president and the response to the satisfaction of a member.