No stopping the digital revolution
ADIGITAL revolution is taking place across the world. In Africa, we are told that internet connectivity will break down the boundaries and create virtual communities that will take the fastest-growing continent to the next level.
And because Africa has the world’s biggest population of young people, it is envisaged that this revolution will change how governments and other institutions communicate with voters and citizens.
The Arab Spring up north has shaken many autocratic regimes, who have tightened their grip on the use of social media for activism and as a tool for ordinary people to galvanise communities and demand change and recognition.
Increasingly, we are seeing some governments across the continent introducing tighter legislation to control the use of the internet, and to cut the people away from this new revolution. And as the propaganda models of governments that controlled radio, TV and the press in the old days crumble in the age of digitalisation, we expected them to introduce tighter controls.
South Africa, hailed as a model of democracy on the continent, is not immune to government efforts to control what people consume on social media. Although the government says this will be considered in an effort to stem the tide of fake news and other internet scams, experts have pointed out that this may be the start of censorship. By their nature, South Africans are combative and outspoken. State Security Minister David Mahlobo and his colleagues in the security cluster will have their hands full trying to justify the decision to interfere or control online conversations between private citizens.
Even in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where the government of President Robert Mugabe has tried to clamp down on the use of social media to send political messages, the experience has been that the people will always find a way to send the message out to the world. We saw this with #ThisFlag, one of the most successful campaigns on social media.
This is one revolution they can’t stop. The social media gag will blow up in their faces.