Recently, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda introduced some outlandish laws regarding the usage of social media which many have said to be a threat to the freedom of information in Africa. Though technology is the battle ground, the political undertone is obvious – all these laws are targeted at silencing critics against the government in the region.
Social media monitoring has become the trending policy in Africa and governments in the continent are wasting no time to express their fear about the potency of these platforms. Currently, countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo and Chad have social media under their watch. In fact, Sudan and Ethiopia have placed total ban on social media as far back 2014.
Now, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda have joined the league of other Africa countries in muscling their citizens through those law. In case you missed it, Zambian government introduced a law requesting every WhatsApp Admins to register with the government, Ugandan government also imposed a 200 shilling ($0.0531) per day levy on people using social media platforms while Tanzania government has ordered all unregistered bloggers and online forums to suspend their websites immediately or face criminal prosecution. This is ridiculous especially in this era where technology has become a vital part of everyday living in Africa.
One may say African rulers are doing this out of fear of being called out or simply protecting their citizens and their right to access information and good governance.
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On the other hand, we cannot shy away from how some citizens are misusing digital media to dole out false information, promote genocide, initiate cold war, and enhance hate in Africa.
This however shouldn’t be the yardstick for the current clamp down on social media. What we are witnessing today in Africa is a government that is afraid of its shadow, accountability and fear of losing control. The need for the use of social media platforms cannot be over emphasized especially in developing African nations. Digital media has allowed Africans to put power into their hands, hold government accountable, call out corruptions and demand for transparency. For democracy and good governance to thrive, these need to happen more often.
These dramas happening in Africa has spurred questions on why the political order have dismay for social media? Social media is an enlightenment and liberation tool, it enhances freedom of information, opportunity for democracy, transparency and accountability in governance. This maybe the reason for the clampdown of social media in Africa. The only panacea for the misuse of social media is control and not total clamp down that we are witnessing today.
The reign of muscling and repressing social media in Africa would be a battle that would last for a very long time and the governments will always be ready to protect their selfish ambition and political power empire.