The power of social media

I found myself inadvertently laughing out loud after realising what Zanu PF supporters had done on Twitter recently.

For some time now, #ZanuPFmustgo has been trending on social media as people continue to voice their frustrations at the ruling party’s failure to properly run the country’s affairs.

Seeing that the hashtag was gaining popularity by the day, Zanu PF’s social media handlers were forced to react. They then came up with their counter hashtag, simply adding ‘on’ so that the message read #ZanuPFmustgoOn.

Though annoying, I found myself laughing at this type of creativity – or lack of it – and how some people reacted to it.

It was also quite funny that some people adopted the hashtag without realising it, which I guess was what Zanu PF ‘enablers’ wanted from the onset, ‘to confuse the enemy’ as they would say in street lingo.

Still on Twitter, there is an on-going drive to un-follow President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as another sign of protest against his leadership.

So far more than 20, 000 people have stopped following him (trimming his Twitter following down to 542, 000). Although his supporters have downplayed this, they are well aware of the power and influence of social media.

There is so much suffering in Zimbabwe and nothing seems to work.

The value of our local currency keeps evaporating by the day, a move which pushes up inflation and subsequently the prices of goods and services.

With so many struggles facing the masses, one would think our government would put people’s interests at heart. But no, apparently they can’t be bothered. Instead they are quick to blame their ‘enemies’ and saboteurs for their own failures.

In other news, Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo has been sacked from government for ‘conduct inappropriate for a government minister’.

Moyo is currently facing fraud charges related to a Covid-19 procurement scandal. News of his sacking was received with joy and jubilation as the story of the multi-million dollar scandal was initially broken on Twitter by local journalists.

So much noise was made on social media and in the independent press for the Minister to be sacked if Mnangangwa was serious about fighting corruption hence social media users are claiming victory for the corrupt minister’s downfall.

Meanwhile, Covid -19 cases are worryingly on the rise. As of July 5, the country had 734 confirmed cases, including 197 recoveries and 9 deaths, an increase of more than 150 cases over the last two weeks.