Opinion / Columnist
Chamisa's cyber democracy is a fraud
06 Sep 2018 at 13:15hrs | Views
The will of the people shall never be overshadowed by the voice of the minority just because they shout loudly. This is a basic concept of modern democracy. There are legitimate and academic discussions how this should be resolved, and solutions range from regular plebiscites to proportional representation in Parliaments. This is the spectrum that democracies move on, the world over, from Argentina to Japan. Historically speaking, each of the forms practiced today is a monumental development from the early days of the Athenian democracy.
But maybe us Zimbabweans are contributing to a completely new form of democracy: The cyber-democracy, or maybe Twittocracy. Over the course of the campaign for the 2018 harmonised elections, haven't we seen it all online, especially on Twitter? There were questions asked by users, and the results were called "polls", disregarding the professionalism and statistical nuances adhered to by think-tanks and polling institutes. Twitter feeds were filled with calls to actions such as "Like for ED, retweet for Nelson Chamisa", as if that could be any indication for the nation-wide popularity of any candidate. Twimbos were devastated when results didn't match their expectations fed from these conversations in the bubble.
But today, Nelson Chamisa took this Twittocracy to a whole new level. In the morning, he tweeted: "Our NEXT move is very crucial for Zimbabwe's future. Things must change. We're currently engaging Zimbabweans countrywide on the steps ahead. We're ready to serve YOU.Tough decisions are about to be made. You decide we abide.Your wish is our command. Your thoughts & ideas ??"
But maybe us Zimbabweans are contributing to a completely new form of democracy: The cyber-democracy, or maybe Twittocracy. Over the course of the campaign for the 2018 harmonised elections, haven't we seen it all online, especially on Twitter? There were questions asked by users, and the results were called "polls", disregarding the professionalism and statistical nuances adhered to by think-tanks and polling institutes. Twitter feeds were filled with calls to actions such as "Like for ED, retweet for Nelson Chamisa", as if that could be any indication for the nation-wide popularity of any candidate. Twimbos were devastated when results didn't match their expectations fed from these conversations in the bubble.
But today, Nelson Chamisa took this Twittocracy to a whole new level. In the morning, he tweeted: "Our NEXT move is very crucial for Zimbabwe's future. Things must change. We're currently engaging Zimbabweans countrywide on the steps ahead. We're ready to serve YOU.Tough decisions are about to be made. You decide we abide.Your wish is our command. Your thoughts & ideas ??"
I was speechless. Is this how it would work if he were elected President? You tweet any idea at him and just "abides"? Shouldn't he lead, know what to do next, have a backbone? But most important of all – what about all the Zimbabweans who are not on Twitter?? Are their wishes worthless? This is exactly how the MDC lost the rural vote, and in turn, the national election. This is also schoolyard-level politics. It doesn't work that way. No wonder less and less people, here and abroad, seem to care about Chamisa.Our NEXT move is very crucial for Zimbabwe's future. Things must change. We're currently engaging Zimbabweans countrywide on the steps ahead. We're ready to serve YOU.Tough decisions are about to be made. You decide we abide.Your wish is our command. Your thoughts & ideas ??
— Nelson Chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) September 6, 2018
Source - Twittocracy
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