New game allows players to manage a South African municipality

When large international corporations enter the African continent, they present their offers as investments, jobs, development, and prosperity. Their technologies are presented as indispensable, and financial support as a gift that would be foolish to refuse.

However, an uncomfortable question arises between the promise and the actual deal: who determines the terms of cooperation? South Africa is currently having such a dialogue with Elon Musk's company, Starlink. According to the intervention of the United States ambassador, insisting that a foreign company comply with local business rules is considered unfounded.

The ambassador drew attention to Musk's stated offer to connect thousands of schools in South Africa to the internet at a cost of $28 million. This sounds generous, and it is difficult to object to connecting children in rural areas left behind by the digital revolution. Nevertheless, a clear distinction must be made between charitable contribution and ownership of a commercial enterprise.

Starlink seeks access to the South African telecommunications market, but the local licensing system requires the participation of historically disadvantaged groups of at least 30%. Instead of meeting this requirement through direct equity participation, the company proposes an alternative ownership scheme. Its argument is that it must retain full control over its subsidiaries, as happens in almost 150 other markets.

But since when did the business practices of a transnational corporation become the standard by which a sovereign state must evaluate its own laws? South Africa is not alone in its concerns. Namibia demanded that Starlink cease operations in 2024 due to lack of the necessary license. Nigeria challenged the unilateral price increase for the company's subscription. In Zimbabwe, customers were disconnected after regulatory intervention regarding unauthorized roaming. In Kenya, telecom giant Safaricom urged satellite operators to collaborate with local firms and contribute to the country's economy.

These countries may demand not exactly the same things as South Africa, but they uphold a general principle: market access entails certain obligations. Furthermore, the situation in Ukraine showed the risks of dependence on infrastructure controlled by a private company, given Starlink's significant influence on military communications. When communication becomes a vital necessity, the person controlling the switch holds considerable power.

Therefore, this discussion cannot be reduced to whether we like Elon Musk or not, nor can the potential benefits of Starlink be ignored, especially in communities where reliable internet remains a luxury. The main question is whether technological development should come at the cost of economic independence.

We have already seen a similar scenario: our minerals leave the shores, our resources create wealth elsewhere, and we remain negotiating for a larger share of the created value. Should the digital economy follow this same script? Connecting 5,000 schools is commendable, but it does not grant the company automatic rights to dictate business terms. Transformation is not charity; it is an economic principle based on the need to correct a historical exception.

Perhaps the real problem is that we are so accustomed to hearing that Africa needs something that we sometimes forget our right to decide what Africa deserves.

The first Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K race promises to be an exciting event with the participation of elite male and female athletes in the City of Roses. As is customary in this popular series organized by Stillwater Sports, the country's top runners will face competition from invited East African participants.

Among the South African representatives are expected to be athletes such as Kabelo Mulaudzi and Steven Mokoka, who should carry the flag of South Africa amidst fierce competition from Kenyan runners, such as Felix Kibet Masai.

Arthur Jantjes, winner of the first Nelson Mandela Marathon in Cape Town, intends to demonstrate his effectiveness over shorter distances, having been the champion of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon.

Women's Race

In the women's race, Glenrose Haba will once again represent South Africa, aiming to prevent Deborah Chemutai and Jacqueline Rotich from winning for Kenya.

Haba may be targeting the World Athletics Half Marathon Championship next year, but she showed her speed by winning the Boxer Durban 5k race last week, despite intensive preparation for the 21.1 km distance.

Another runner arriving in Mangaung with high confidence is Neheng Katala from Lesotho, who also won last week. The Hollywood Athletics Club star won the Hollywoodbets Joburg 10k on Sunday, although it remains unclear if she can participate in the race competitively given the challenging route in Soweto.

There is also local runner and favorite of South African road running, Gerda Stein, who eagerly awaits participation in the race in her home province.

Gerda Stein stated: 'When October 25th comes, I hope to perform well at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K. I hope the crowd and strong competition around me will motivate me. My goal is to squeeze out the maximum from myself on race day that I can expect.'

Focus on Mulaudzi

However, most attention will be focused on Mulaudzi. The runner from Boxer Athletics Club finally won this year at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K race exactly one month ago.

After an impressive run where he finished in 28:48, he stated: 'I fought this year, so I wanted to defend my title because everyone forgot about me. I am happy to be back. This is my first win this year and in this series. I am very happy.'

He aims to become the first winner of the Mangaung race and solidify his status as the king of the Absa series, having won four out of five races last year.

However, Mulaudzi will not be alone in the fight; Kibet has made it clear that he accepts nothing but victory. The Two Oceans half marathon winner, Kibet, participated in the debut Absa RUN YOUR CITY race in Durban, where he placed ninth, and decided to return to experience these well-organized events once more.

He returned in significantly improved condition, lowering his personal record to an impressive 27:19 in Prague last month. Kibet noted: 'I am very satisfied with my results in Prague. After that personal record, I knew I would focus on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY series. I look forward to a good performance and taking a spot on the podium.'

New Zealand captain Michelle Santner highly praised the aggressive play of young Indian player Vaibhav Suryavanshi, noting that he would be difficult to stop if given the opportunity to play in the five-match T20 series. Nevertheless, the New Zealand team has prepared its strategy against this 15-year-old athlete. The first match of the T20 series between India and New Zealand will take place on Thursday.

Since being included in the Indian squad for the tour of England, Vaibhav has been given a limited number of playing minutes. The main reason for this was the outstanding performance of regular batsman Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Previously, in the last T20 series against the West Indies, Vaibhav also failed to make the starting lineup.

At the press conference before the series, Santner commented on Vaibhav's game, stating that the New Zealand team is well acquainted with his abilities and has developed a corresponding tactic. He emphasized that even though Vaibhav did not participate in the last series, they know what a good player he is because they have seen his performances in the IPL. Santner added that Vaibhav has a chance to play an important role in the Indian team, both in this series and in the future.

He continued that he had observed what he is capable of doing if given a chance in the current series, and noted that he was quite difficult to stop. Santner recalled how bowlers in England often used short balls against Indian batsmen, and also saw in the IPL how aggressively Vaibhav can play. He assured that they have certain plans in case he takes the field.

Santner also shared his opinion on the return of experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the Indian T20 team after almost four years away. The New Zealand captain believes that the conditions in New Zealand might suit Bhuvneshwar, who masterfully controls spin and movement in the air. Santner suggested that Bhuvneshwar could benefit if the pitch slightly assists the ball, noting that he also made the ball spin on flat Indian surfaces. He added that on a new ball, he could become a serious problem for New Zealand batsmen.

He mentioned that in India, T20 matches often end with large scores and easy chases. Santner stated that conditions for bowlers in India have become difficult, whereas in New Zealand, Bhuvneshwar might face more favorable conditions.

Santner hopes that bowling dominance will prevail in the T20 series. However, he acknowledged that conditions can change rapidly depending on the pitch and weather. He suggested that bowlers might gain an advantage in the first match, while the reuse of the same ground in the second match could ease the batting for the batsmen. Therefore, both teams will have to change their strategy according to changing circumstances.

Santner called the Indian team strong, noting that Team India has been performing well for a long time. Nevertheless, he reminded that the bouncy pitches in New Zealand will differ from home conditions for Indian players. He also mentioned that India recently defeated New Zealand in a T20 series by a score of 4-1. Following the five T20 matches between India and New Zealand, there will also be five ODI matches and two Tests. According to Santner, under a tight schedule and constantly changing circumstances, both teams will need to effectively utilize their entire squad to achieve good results.