The time to face the ballot is near and for many this is an anxious season. From sticking to what we know best to wanting radical change, 2024 is referred to as “the new 1994”. With so much information, dance challenges and voting predictions, a divide has been created between social media viewers at large. The platform given on social media is rather influential and so navigating different platforms and researching can allow us to utilize social media better for political change.
By: Lesego Kgatle
Showing up on our “For You” pages are discussions and debates on politics that contribute to our knowledge and understanding of what we are soon to face on the 29th of May. Influential speakers such as Amahle Gebane and Nonhlanhla Siwela have helped us explore a different side of social media that is rather influential and educational. From our phone screens to Sibizi Magazine, Amahle and Nonhlanhla have joined us in a conversation that is aimed to uplifting the youth and change perspectives. With discussions about populism to the youth voting, Amahle expresses that “patriotism should be performed at the polls and not just under TikTok comments where people ask “nikhona” as a gathering signal for other South Africans.”
Is there a direction that social media influencers can take to shape how young people think about politics?
Nonhlanhla: They should use their platform to influence and share as much anchored information about political parties and encourage their followers to vote because they can’t just be money orientated as the money that they make is part of the economy. Influencers should reframe their minds from not being individual and lucrative orientated but to being future and people orientated.
Amahle: As a social media personality, I’ve had to confront the influence I wield over youth politics, particularly on social media platforms. It’s important to recognize that the ‘woke’ content creators, including myself, on social media do not fully represent the breadth of youth political consciousness – a fact that is evident from the youth voter registration rates. This realization underscores the need for influencers like me to step up and bridge this gap, to ensure that the youth are not just politically aware, but also actively engaged.
Read More: Embrace Your Periods: Viva Con Agua & Let’s Talk Period’s 10th Anniversary Call For All Artists.
How important is the content we consume on social media, in terms of political growth?
Amahle: South Africans have one of the highest screen times in the world, social media has become our bread and butter. What are we putting in this bread? Are we feeding ourselves with information that enriches our minds? Or are we eating off-brand bread designed to poison us and our nation’s progress?
How can we make the youth aware of the manifestos and what each party intends for South Africa?
Nonhlanhla: There are YouTube videos from ENCA and SABC News to inform the youth on the manifestos. A huge majority of the youth are on YouTube so that is an effective way to target them. I was invited to a Daily Maverick event, where political conversation took place. There are also budget friendly events that host events where different parties are in a debate set up, and they are given a platform to discuss why their manifesto deserves a chance.
What efforts is the government making to encourage youth voter participation without endorsing specific political parties?
Nonhlanhla: The government is very much pushing its own agenda. They have neglected the youth because they know that the youth is the cohort that has the most power to return the votes. They direct their attention to vulnerable communities that rely on the government. News channels, however, are neutral in conversation and promote political discourse without pushing any agenda.
Is there anything that the government can do to encourage young voters to participate?
Nonhlanhla: Although most of the youth are mistrustful and are not open to the government approaching them, there can be representatives sent to schools and host youth friendly campaigns. An additional initiative would be an objective and challenging approach, such as a round table discussion or Q&A session.
Is it beneficial to have a lot of political parties participating in elections?
Nonhlanhla: In an optimistic approach, having a lot of political parties applies pressure on the majority and larger parties. It makes the large parties sell themselves better and it promotes healthy competition. For the citizens, it eases the stress by knowing that there are other options to choose from. From a lesser positive viewpoint, having a lot of parties affects the seats allocation system and split voting as it lowers the chance of unseating the majority party. There are also a lot of manifestos to go through which can be confusing for a lot of young voters.
Is populism a threat to democracy?
Amahle: With red pill content creators and other content creators getting paid to passively sway voters, manipulative populism is dangerous for our democracy. Social media platforms can be exploited by malicious actors, including foreign governments and special interest groups, to manipulate public opinion and interfere in democratic processes such as elections. Social media algorithms can perpetuate biases and discrimination, amplifying certain voices while marginalizing others based on factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. This can exacerbate inequalities in political representation and access to information, undermining the principles of democracy. Social media platforms can be breeding grounds for the spread of misinformation and fake news. False information can spread rapidly and widely, shaping public opinion and influencing political discourse. This can lead to voters making decisions based on inaccurate information, undermining the democratic process.
How can we really transform 2024 into our new 1994?
Amahle: Even though 2024 is our 1994 year, we need to recognize that the energy towards voting has changed. When I read about 1994, it sounded like a time when people thought that change was on the way, people had hope, and people embraced voting. 2024, just looking at voter registration, is the opposite of that. We are voting because this is a right that our parents and grandparents fought for, and many young people in 2024 do not understand how people understood that in 1994.
Continue this conversation with your people and check out Sungrow’s Initiative to Renewable Energy With The 3-Phase Inverter