No, Joel Netshitenzhe did not call Starlink a Trojan Horse for US military control
Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), where Netshitenzhe is an executive director, has confirmed he never wrote or endorsed the analysis.
The claim, which itself lacks substantiation, originated from a Facebook post that was wrongly attributed and later publicly retracted.
A viral post circulating on social media falsely claims to be a 'concise analysis' by South African policy analyst and politician Joel Netshitenzhe. Dated 27 May 2025, the post alleges that Elon Musk's satellite internet company, Starlink, is a covert instrument of the United States military and geopolitical dominance - a 'Trojan Horse' threatening South Africa's digital sovereignty.
But the attribution to Netshitenzhe is incorrect. In a statement issued on 28 May, the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), where Netshitenzhe serves as executive director, disassociated itself from the analysis.
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'It has come to the attention of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) that a contribution providing an analysis of Starlink's interest in South Africa is in circulation on X,' the statement reads.
'We would like to unequivocally state that our Executive Director, Mr Joel Netshitenzhe, has published no such analysis and that MISTRA is in no way associated with the write-up that is being circulated.'
The post, which has been widely reshared on Facebook and X, appears to have originated as a Facebook text post. It was subsequently copied and posted on X by Donovan Calvin Meyer, who in turn also wrongly attributed it to Netshitenzhe. Meyer later issued a public apology:
I do not know how to undo this, I am embarrassed and ashamed, I just pasted from a FB post, my sincere apology to @SizweLo, I follow him, not sure how I missed this one, this is his writing I am familiar with
— Donovan Calvin Meyer (@Calidonny) May 28, 2025
Despite calls to delete it, the post remained live at the time of publication.
The original author of the Starlink claims appears to be Sizwe SikaMusi, who describes himself as a 'social commentator and gatekeeper of historical facts'.
While some debate continues around Starlink's global military associations - including its use in Ukraine and its connection to US defence contracts via SpaceX - there is currently no evidence that the service will be used to spy on South Africans or bypass national laws.
The tactic of attaching a prominent name to a generic statement is a classic tool used by purveyors of online misinformation. Netshitenzhe is a respected public figure and analyst, and using his name alongside unverified geopolitical claims distorts national debate on technology, sovereignty, and regulatory oversight, particularly in the context of growing public interest around Starlink's possible rollout in South Africa.
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