Why President Kiir should capitalize on the power of social media to engage with South Sudanese online

By Peter Thon Madol, Nairobi, Kenya

Thursday, September 10, 2020 (PW) — Over the past 10 years social media has gradually evolved to be democratic platform, it cedes every one a right whether small or big, rich or poor to say what they want to say without bias. Unlike traditional media overwhelmed by government censorship and arrest, has slowly lost credibility it had on the onset as the voice of the reasons. The fact that it has unknowingly accepted to dine with the state due to intimidation, completely lost it from people.

In essence, the government should not waste precious time in fighting infinite war (social media war) in trying to subdue online community into silence, instead join and engage with online community. 

Since social media companies prove hard to crack by governments’ threat, it truly represents the voice of the people. It should be treated as an essential part of good governance, because online community is surprisingly information rich community that the state should harness to spur constructive ideas for nation-building.

This again emphasizes the point that His excellency president Salva Kiir Mayardit should take this powerful platform seriously and begin to find time to interact with South Sudanese online.

Like other heads of state, for example, Mr Museveni who embraced important role plays by social media decided to join Ugandans. I surmise that Museveni is the most abused president online in East Africa but instead of dispatching his security agent to arrest them, he has swallowed the pride and tried to have constructive conversation with Ugandans.

When he feels he is being drowned for no apparent reason, he writes a missive to respond in order to debunk some fabrications against him and his government and as well accept some truths said by Ugandans online, and online conversation continues.

In our case, we are in unstable position, we are a state embroiled in poor state of development, rebellions, economic crisis, tribalism, mismanagement and misappropriation of public coffers etc. In such unguarded moment we need His excellency the most to engage with junubiin online because it is the only transparent way for every South Sudanese to have access to His Excellency, no protocol, no bias screening by security protocols. 

It is beneficial in the following ways. First, information is power. When you have information available from different sources, at the end of the day it is easy to come up with informed decisions. Social media in this sense is an alternative source of information like traditional media but best in giving discerning views.

To drive my point home, from the horse mouth, live on national TV, His excellency complained that he has got people who know how to eat but no people who know how to work. Yet one would wonder how come these people who know how to eat are still maintaining their positions in his government.

One would hastily infer that these people have charms Mr President. Holding other factors constant, one thing is certain, it is by design. Perhaps these people mastered the art of giving our President falsehood that everything is on track on the ground.

The headway is using the power of social media, first, social media exposes disloyal and corrupt officials. Second, counter information these officials give to what South Sudanese say on social media. Therein, His excellence may find who is making sense and who is not.

To some extent online community reflect grassroots people and they are the best when it comes to knowing what is happening on the ground. Unlike some government officials who are completely detached from their representatives are oblivious of the grass root problems.

Second, His excellency should schedule little time to spare online in order to respond to the online community. More importantly to convince critics with facts rather than facing arrest, perhaps to try to realign them in the way, maybe some are not informed about what transpires in the government.

Particularly, on common online topics like tribalism in the government, for instance, Dinka is said to have dominated most public offices and further within Dinka nepotism is said to be in practice. Corruption is also another hot topic online. Giving us a glimpse of SPLM programs.

Others do lodge complaints online about lack of services. Such topics require regular updates from His excellency to clear his leadership and make us understand. Also, appreciate those who constructively criticize, in the same vein thanks government supporters for their unwavering support towards his government.

Finally, as people speak their minds freely online, it spur constructive criticism and ideas suggestions which the government should capitalise on and try to improve for better.

Well, social media has it’s disadvantages too, which include abusive utterances, online scams, citing people to fight. The police and cyber security experts can deal with such people in accordance with the law.

The author is a Graduand at Kenya Methodist University, reachable via petermadol3@gmail.com

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