Turn social media into tools for peace not violence

Technology has always had a big influence on international politics with Franklin D. Roosevelt's adoption of the radio and John F. Kennedy making the use of television to bridge the communication gaps between politicians and the public to great political success. Amidst the ongoing digital revolution, social media platforms such as whatsApp, Twitter and Facebook are permanently altering the nature of today's political discourse in many parts of the world including Zimbabwe.  In 2019 the President of Zimbabwe Cde ED Mnangagwa made headlines by instructing his supporters to 'fight' on social media. This led to his supporters creating whatsapp groups, Facebook pages and groups, twitter and other social media political online presence.

Across the world, political leaders, like corporations, are using these platforms regularly to reach out to large populations. Political leaders and politicians have in the past exploited traditional media platforms such as newspapers, radio, and television to serve their political interests. Social media channels are unique because of the scale, speed, and minimal cost at which political leaders can directly reach out to people to disseminate their message.

The power of social media has been championed as allowing anyone with Internet access and a device to become a content creator and empowering their users. The idea of "new media populism" encompasses how citizens can include disenfranchised citizens, and allow the public to have an engaged and active role in political discourse. New media, including social media platforms such as whatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, has enhanced people's access to political information.

With this ability in 2023 Zimbabwe's election we are seeing that social media is taking the leading role in information dissemination. Social media has opened up spaces for Zimbabwe's political candidates to engage with voters in more direct ways compared to traditional forms of campaigns such as posters, rallies, billboard advertising, and the legacy media. Social media has enhanced the flow of information between candidates and voters. With the economic challenges that Zimbabwe is going through political candidates are not actively using the traditional media that is expensive and feedback is constrained forcing them to go on social media platforms.

Political campaigns are all about informing, mobilising, involving and connecting with voters. Social media amplifies this and builds a community of advocates for a candidate running for office. They allow politicians to run permanent campaigns and to address a more complete range of policy positions than can be conveyed on television or radio.

On a negative note, electoral violence has become synonymous with Zimbabwe's elections since Zimbabwe attained its independence in 1980. This long history of violence in the context of elections, with opposition parties repeatedly accusing the ruling Zanu PF of being behind intimidation and harassment. In 2017 social media and digital technology now entrenched in Zimbabwe's lives and was first used for political reasons including campaigning and polling. Social media and digital technology had mixed uses where it was not only used to promote positive campaigns, fake news, propagate hate speech and mobilise for violence. Since then, they have increasingly become an indispensable tool in Zimbabwe's politics and governance, used by political leaders to spread information, campaign and mobilise. However, the widespread reach of social media has also been a major challenge to security, peace and peacebuilding since it has also been used to incite hatred and violence.

Zimbabwe's law enforcement agencies can now have law enforcers who can use social media to monitor and catch perpetrators of political violence during the 2023 election campaign. From status updates to location checks and time stamps to photographic evidence, these pieces of information can be used as compelling evidence in a court of law. Zimbabweans from across the political divide are calling for peaceful, free and fair polls that usher a leadership reflective of the people's will in 2023. A mobile phone has become a powerful crime-fighting tool and in this 2023 election, mobile phones are going to be tools of choice as would be intimidators, harassers and violent individuals will be captured during the act by these modern day devices These violators will be shared on social media platforms and it will be role of law enforcers to track down and apprehend these individuals
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Whether it is a good message or a bad message that is being sent out during the 2023 election campaign. The message will be received, considering that a large number of Zimbabweans are on social media. The latest data put mobile penetration at 102%. There are 6 million social media users and over 80% of them visit platforms such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube and WhatsApp.

Will Zimbabwe's 2023 elections be free of violence, intimidation and harassment, the answer is, keep your eyes and ears on social media platforms and evidence will be provided on these platforms.