Communications minister Solly Malatsi has hit again at parliament over the Starlink lobbying controversy, delivering a combative written rebuttal that names for the primary time the facilitator of his solely assembly with Elon Musk’s SpaceX – and pointedly slicing Tony Leon’s Resolve Communications out of the story.
In a letter to ANC MP Khusela Diko, chair of the portfolio committee on communications & digital applied sciences, headed “Setting the document straight” and dated Sunday, Malatsi stated he has met a SpaceX consultant precisely as soon as: an introductory assembly with the corporate’s Ryan Goodnight in September 2024, attended by his chief of employees.
“The assembly was facilitated immediately between my workplace and Robert Appelbaum (a accomplice at regulation agency Webber Wenztel),” Malatsi wrote – a direct rebuttal of the suggestion that Resolve, the general public affairs agency chaired by former DA chief Leon, brokered his engagement with the satellite tv for pc operator. Malatsi is a senior DA MP.
The letter responds to a proper demand from Diko, issued final Wednesday, that Malatsi present a complete written account – with supporting documentation – of his reported dealings with Resolve and Starlink by Monday, 6 July.
Her intervention adopted the explosive News24 interview through which former DA chief John Steenhuisen alleged that Resolve organized conferences between DA ministers within the authorities of nationwide unity and the agency’s non-public purchasers, together with Starlink. Diko stated the allegations, although untested, invoked “regarding historic precedents in our nation, the place non-public pursuits sought to direct authorities coverage and govt selections in the course of the state seize period”.
Many conferences
Provision for fairness equal funding programmes (EEIPs) within the ICT sector – the mechanism broadly learn as a path to licensing Starlink in South Africa with out it having to promote fairness to empowerment shareholders – is contained in each the DA’s 2024 election manifesto and the GNU’s personal medium-term improvement plan, he stated, together with his ministry’s coverage work starting between July and August 2024.
“As I’m certain you’ll agree, it’s unimaginable to be unduly influenced to do one thing one is already doing,” he wrote.
Learn: Tony Leon rejects ‘state seize’ label in Starlink lobbying row
Malatsi stated he has met a large subject of low-Earth orbit satellite tv for pc operators and their advocates – MzansiSat, Amazon Leo, China Satellite tv for pc Community Firm, Spacesail, Space24 and Starlink amongst them – and that none of those conferences mentioned particular person licence purposes. “Engagements with stakeholders might broaden my perspective on points, however they don’t dictate my decision-making,” he stated.
The minister disclosed that Resolve has approached his workplace twice since his appointment – neither time about Starlink:
- The primary, in November 2024, led to a gathering with Premium Concepts SA, a Sim card packaging and logistics firm, about Rica non-compliance within the mass distribution of improperly registered Sim playing cards.
- The second, in June 2025, involved Sizzling 102.7FM’s licence modification utility; a deliberate assembly was cancelled after his workplace referred the matter to Icasa.
He has additionally spoken to Resolve CEO Paul Boughey – one other former senior DA determine – twice by phone, he stated, as soon as in regards to the Premium Concepts matter and as soon as a few “mundane” question concerning the gazetted copy of his EEIP coverage course.
Malatsi additionally famous, pointedly, that the media interview on which Diko’s letter relied “alleges neither that I met with Resolve Communications nor that it facilitated any assembly with Starlink”.
The Ramaphosa card
In a politically loaded closing transfer, the DA minister invoked President Cyril Ramaphosa’s personal engagement with Musk. When Ramaphosa travelled to Washington in Could 2025, the president’s spokesman was requested whether or not Starlink’s licensing would come up and replied: “Definitely, the difficulty might be mentioned.” The subtext is evident: if an introductory ministerial assembly with SpaceX is improper, the president’s personal diplomacy can be equally suspect.
The change between the 2 politicians comes amid a licensing course of that continues to be deadlocked. Malatsi’s EEIP coverage course, gazetted in December, has been stymied by Icasa’s view that it can’t recognise fairness equivalents with out an modification to the Digital Communications Act – and the regulator stated simply final week that satellite tv for pc operators wanting a community licence can’t at the moment get one from the entrance door in any respect, pointing them as an alternative to buying an present licence.
Diko has stated the committee will take into account Malatsi’s response in figuring out “any applicable subsequent steps”. The ANC and ActionSA have demanded impartial investigations into Resolve’s dealings with GNU ministers, whereas Leon has denied any wrongdoing and signalled the agency might pursue authorized motion over what it regards as defamatory claims. – © 2026 NewsCentral Media
