Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi has pushed back against allegations surrounding his engagements with Starlink and public affairs firm Resolve Communications, saying his policy position on satellite operators was established long before any meetings took place.
The allegations surfaced during former DA leader John Steenhuisen’s explosive News24 interview in which he alleged that Resolve arranged meetings between DA ministers in the government of national unity and the firm’s private clients, including Starlink.
Malatsi’s response comes after the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Sangoni Diko, requested a detailed explanation following media reports about the alleged lobbying efforts.
Resolve Communications’ Executive Chairperson is former DA leader Tony Leon, while the DA’s former CEO, Paul Boughey, is now the PR firm’s CEO.
In a letter to the minister, Diko said the allegations, although untested, raised concerns about the relationship between private interests and government decision-making. She said the claims evoked “concerning historical precedents” linked to the State Capture era and requested a written response and supporting documents.
Responding to the committee, Malatsi said recognition of equity-equivalent investment programmes in the ICT sector formed part of both the Democratic Alliance’s 2024 election manifesto and the Government of National Unity’s Medium-Term Development Plan.
“The work on my ministry’s policy reform contributions began between July and August 2024,” he wrote. “As I am sure you would agree, it is impossible to be unduly influenced to do something one is already doing.”
The minister said he had met a range of Low Earth Orbit satellite stakeholders, including Starlink, MzansiSat, Amazon Leo, China Satellite Network Company, Spacesail and Space24.
According to Malatsi, none of these engagements involved discussions about individual licence applications and was instead aimed at understanding the companies’ technologies and South Africa’s regulatory environment.
Addressing claims involving Resolve Communications, Malatsi said the firm had never facilitated a meeting between him and Starlink.
He said Resolve approached his office in 2024 regarding concerns raised by Premium Ideas SA about RICA compliance and again in 2025 regarding a licence amendment application by Hot 102.7 FM. He added that he had only spoken telephonically to Resolve CEO Paul Boughey on those matters.
Malatsi confirmed that he met once with Starlink parent company SpaceX representative Ryan Goodnight in September 2024. He said the meeting was arranged directly between his office and businessman Robert Appelbaum and was attended by his chief of staff.
According to the minister, the meeting formed part of a broader effort to understand how Low Earth Orbit satellites could improve broadband access in South Africa.
He also noted that President Cyril Ramaphosa had met with Elon Musk, with the Presidency indicating at the time that Starlink’s licensing challenges would likely be discussed.
Meanwhile, Resolve Communications has strongly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, the firm rejected calls by political parties for investigations into its activities, describing the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
Resolve said facilitating meetings between businesses and government officials is a legitimate part of public affairs work in democratic societies and argued that comparisons to State Capture were “reckless” and unsupported by evidence.
Executive chairman Tony Leon echoed those sentiments, saying no evidence had been produced to support claims against the company. He insisted Resolve does not direct the decisions of ministers or officials and merely assists clients in presenting their views to government.
