Just a bit of South African context. In South Africa, in order to get a telcoms licence, you have to comply with BB-BEE (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment) requirements. Basically, you have to sell 30% (soon to be 51%) of your company to a local black owner. This is in addition to DEI requirements for employment.
For most businesses, these requirements are not mandatory to exist or operate, but gives you a bidding advantage for government contracts. For example, Microsoft, amazon and Temu can operate here, because they dont need any special licences. But for some sectors, companies need to aquire a license.
It can be argued that such legislation was necessary to incentivise business to diversify their employment and ownership to those previously excluded.
BUT, the way it is implemented, there is a huge emphasis on black ownership for various sectors. What will basically happen is a business needs to acquire a license from a government department. These licenses would only be granted if you give ownership of your company to the “appropriate” investor. Invariably someone connected to the government. They determine the price and basically get gifted portions of companies.
So what has basically happened is that this legislation only effective portion these days, is to enrich the politically connected.
So basically Elon is not wanting to pay the bribes necessary to get the required license to operate.
I don’t think saying “because i’m not black” is the same as “i don’t want to pay the bribes that only enrich the political connected”. He seems to be only angry about the colour part, and not cronyism and nepotism. He’s twisting the truth, let’s not help justifying shit for him and make him happy.
Ohh do i mention he’s also the result of cronyism and nepotism? He have no right to criticise others.
I agree with you that he is being a racist asshole about it. He is emphasizing the race part of the legislation over the bribe part of it, because that is more politically useful to him.
It does not make the legislation less problematic. The ANC is begging the world to invest in the country, but not because that is what the country needs, but because it feeds the state mandated corruption.
Just a bit of South African context. In South Africa, in order to get a telcoms licence, you have to comply with BB-BEE (Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment) requirements. Basically, you have to sell 30% (soon to be 51%) of your company to a local black owner. This is in addition to DEI requirements for employment.
For most businesses, these requirements are not mandatory to exist or operate, but gives you a bidding advantage for government contracts. For example, Microsoft, amazon and Temu can operate here, because they dont need any special licences. But for some sectors, companies need to aquire a license.
It can be argued that such legislation was necessary to incentivise business to diversify their employment and ownership to those previously excluded.
BUT, the way it is implemented, there is a huge emphasis on black ownership for various sectors. What will basically happen is a business needs to acquire a license from a government department. These licenses would only be granted if you give ownership of your company to the “appropriate” investor. Invariably someone connected to the government. They determine the price and basically get gifted portions of companies.
So what has basically happened is that this legislation only effective portion these days, is to enrich the politically connected.
So basically Elon is not wanting to pay the bribes necessary to get the required license to operate.
I Hate the buffoon, but on this he is correct.
I don’t think saying “because i’m not black” is the same as “i don’t want to pay the bribes that only enrich the political connected”. He seems to be only angry about the colour part, and not cronyism and nepotism. He’s twisting the truth, let’s not help justifying shit for him and make him happy.
Ohh do i mention he’s also the result of cronyism and nepotism? He have no right to criticise others.
I agree with you that he is being a racist asshole about it. He is emphasizing the race part of the legislation over the bribe part of it, because that is more politically useful to him.
It does not make the legislation less problematic. The ANC is begging the world to invest in the country, but not because that is what the country needs, but because it feeds the state mandated corruption.
Both parties are in the wrong here.