By Dr Bruce Mutsvairo
The manifestation and mobile mobilization of citizens through direct social media engagement is grabbing the limelight as Zimbabweans across the globe react to the headline-grabbing #ThisFlag campaign.
The movement, launched and led by high-flying clergyman Evan Mawarire just days after Zimbabwe’s Independence Day celebrations in April, is provoking a surge in digital activism, as citizens demand answers from government officials in the face of an impending political and economic crisis.
Amid a worsening cash crunch, President Robert Mugabe’s government announced plans May 5 to introduce “bond notes,” arguing to widespread dismay that the move would avert the scarcity of US dollars and casting a long shadow over the country’s economic recovery plan.
The announcement also reignited fears among increasingly frustrated Zimbabweans that the county’s currency_ abandoned six years ago_ was on its way back, prompting protests among citizens, civic society groups and opposition parties.
Memories of economic chaos, which forced the central bank to issue valueless Z$100, 000bn notes, still linger in the hearts of many. But the crueler twist of the story came a month earlier when President Mugabe refreshingly announced that $15 billion worth of diamonds had gone missing, leaving many with plenty of unanswered questions.
The current upheavals have not stopped the 92-year old Mugabe from declaring his readiness to stand as candidate for his Zanu PF party during the 2018 elections.
But 39-year old Mawarire and his supporters are not in the mood to wait for 2018.
“We are challenging the government on corruption and injustice,” says Mawarire in one of his hard-hitting Facebook posts. “This country is in trouble and we cannot afford not to speak up.”
With campaigners increasingly embracing online tools to get their messages across, the government cannot afford to ignore its citizens.
Findings of a research we conducted two years ago showed that even though it contributed to citizen awareness, the infamous Baba Jukwa Facebook page had not succeeded in advancing offline political participation among citizens.
The situation now appears slightly different.
While accessibility was a major issue and the majority of digital activists sampled then were living outside the country, more and more locals, especially urbanites appear to be in possession of a smartphone. Even better, Zolspot wifi is available in major towns and cities for at least 30 minutes. And with everyone clicking and sharing campaign messages on WhatsApp, it’s clear social media truly has the power to transcend traditional boundaries. Whatsapp has become an instant hit because it allows subscribers to send free messages.
But ZANU PF is very skeptical about technology. Away from the digital skirmishes, it has so far turned deaf eyes to Mawarire’s demands.
Not to be outdone, Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo, who is an avid social media participant, has used his official Twitter account to accuse the European Union and US of being the brains behind the movement, an accusation Mawarire is keen to laugh off.
“You don’t need a foreigner to tell you there are problems in this country,” he says. “We are not stupid.”
Mawarire’s boisterous campaign, which has become a sparkle of the season among Zimbabwean netizens, is getting more sympathizers because it appears as if he is not aligned to any political party. He urges Zimbabweans to take the country’s flag everywhere they go because he believes it symbolically offers a goldmine of hope to millions of people. Hundreds of people have responded by posing for pictures with the Zimbabwe’s flag on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Some in Mugabe’s party including youth activist Acie Lumumba, have openly campaigned for #ThisFlag.
With many struggling to climb out of crushing poverty and funding for grassroots activism dying down, #ThisFlag is being seen by some as a symbol of hope.
Donors aren’t as generous as they use to. And the disappearance of acerbic government critic Itai Dzamara has forced others to question the real potential of grassroots activism in contemporary Zimbabwe. Leading grassroots activists including the likes of Brian Kagoro, have moved abroad in search of a better life. For his part, Mawarire isn’t about to turn his back on his country. He has boldly claimed he is not afraid of any threats to his life.
While Mawarire should to be congratulated for launching the increasingly popular campaign, he faces a spontaneous act of resistance from Zanu PF. The accusations that he is receiving Western funding, whether true or false, will soon gather momentum. It’s perhaps wiser for Western diplomats to stay out of this campaign because any comment will be used as evidence that they behind Mawarire’s movement. Even if they want to, they shouldn’t interfere with this project because any intervention will likely discredit Mawarire’s efforts.
In a May 17 posting, Mawarire accused a government minister of threatening him as he left he car park following an interview at a radio station owned by the state official.
“If anything ever happens to me,” he declared. “You should never stop.”
Yet translating online activism into offline political action is still a challenge that Mawarire and others like him still face. He is on the ground producing videos and appearing ready to defend his actions. The majority of his followers however may well be thousands of miles away in diasporic luxury. ZANU PF knows it cannot control what goes around the Net, which is why Mawarire isn’t considered a threat as yet. They surely will be worried when his message transcends into an offline political action. They certainly are watching.
Face-to-face activist interaction is clearly still irreplaceable. It’s considered a threat by several repressive governments across the globe because once people hit the streets you have got to be on top of your game to contain them. Many Zanu PF ministers may not have Facebook or Twitter accounts but the case is not the same for their relatives or children. These, Mawarire hopes, will convey his messages. But is this the endgame for Zanu PF as has been suggested by some of Mawarire’s followers online? I would say it’s way too early to make that conclusion. Mugabe is survivor. Previous attempts to push him out haven’t been successful.
Morgan Tsvangirai’s April protests calling for Mugabe to step down showed the power of grassroots activism. Indeed, they may have been partly coordinated on social media but it goes without saying that his direct demand for more jobs and an end to corruption, I would argue, certainly had more impact than any of these online campaigns, which normally fall prey to clicktivism. But Mawarire’s passionate plea on social media is gaining ground and you only would dismiss it at your own peril. You cannot take away the credit from Mawarire for standing firm in what he believes, but the problem is online campaigns are way too overrated. People get too excited and emotive online, forcing them to think they can remove a government simply by clicking, liking or signing an online petition. It’s not that simple. The key question though remains, will Zimbabwe’s revolution be Tweeted, Facebooked or Whatsapped? Is the thought of a revolution even realistic in Zimbabwe? Mawarire’s answer is a clear “yes” but only time will tell if he is right.
Digital Activism in the Social Media Era: Critical Reflections on Emerging Trends in sub-Saharan Africa. (ed), a 15 chapter book exploring current trends in digital activism across the continent and edited by Bruce Mutsvairo, will be published by Palgrave in 2016.
Dr. Bruce Mutsvairo Senior Lecturer in Journalism at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
This article is originally published at http://www.brucemutsvairo.com/. We republish with the author’s permission.
