JZ’s followers swell on social media

WHEN former president Jacob Zuma joined Twitter recently, it was a vivid signal that politicians on the continent are slowly but surely waking up to the power of social media in modern-day political discourse.

The response has been mixed. Some African politicians, like Zuma, have appeared to drag themselves into the 21st century, to finally embrace platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a way of wooing millions of citizens, including millennials often unhappy with their governance.

In a video marking his Twitter debut in mid-December, Zuma, who is usually more in his element addressing his largely rural support base at rallies, said he decided “to move with the times”.

“I felt it is necessary that I should join in and be part of the conversation and join the people in their discussions,” the 76 year old, who has denied charges of corruption, said.

Within a few hours of the post, Zuma’s Twitter followers swelled from a few hundred to tens of thousands.

Less than a month and nearly 30 tweets later, he now boasts 150 000 followers, both admirers and detractors.

Many would argue his belated venture into social networking is pointless, because he was booted out as president nearly a year ago and now appears to have limited political clout.

But Zuma could soon outpace his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa (@CyrilRamaphosa), who joined the platform in 2015 but still boasts a modest 385 000 followers, while Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa joined in 2011 but commands a following of 288 000.

Critics, however, say the majority of African politicians, much like international counterparts including the US President Donald Trump, have used Twitter as a one-way means of churning out propaganda without listening to citizens’ concerns.

South African editors say the EFF is using social media to issue veiled threats against journalists who have written stories alleging that some of its leaders have been involved in corruption.

The SA National Editors’ Forum last month lodged a complaint in the Equality Court against the party, accusing it of failing to stop supporters from launching online attacks, particularly against female journalists. | African News Agency (ANA)/News-Decoder