The Role of Social Media in Crisis Situations: A Case Study of the Zimbabwean Solidarity March of November 2017

Social media play a role in reshaping perceptions that have propelled political and social outcomes. Many communication scholars believe that technology’s rapid growth will facilitate easy information access and much freedom to the society. Chokoskvili (2011) stated that when certain societal conditions exist, Internet technology may fuel citizen discontent by providing them with access to larger networks and with the freedom to speak out. In 2010 the world witnessed the Arab Spring “revolution” which was propelled through social media. The Zimbabwean Solidarity March of November 2017 has documented a dramatic freedom of expression through social media. The purpose of this study is to explore the role played by social media Facebook and Tweeter in mobilizing consensus during the Solidarity March within the restrictive oppressive legal clause of then president Robert Mugabe regime which silenced the voice of the masses. In this study mix methodology was used through survey and interviews. Questionnaires were distributed to a sample size of 351 Zimbabwean students in North Cyprus studying in Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, Cyprus International and Girne American Universities. Questionnaires were distributed using purposive sampling and virtual snowball sampling method. In-depth interviews were conducted to 20 Zimbabwean students from three universities. With the economic crisis as a motivator, social media spear headed the success of mobilizing the society, taking risk of the government attacks. The results revealed that social media played a huge role in mobilizing the Zimbabwean citizens and can influence collective thinking for political change. The Zimbabwean university students in North Cyprus felt safe to engage in political issues of Zimbabwe on social media and mostly preferred to use it for more reliable and truthful news compared to the traditional media like ZBC (Zimbabwean Broadcasting Co-operation). Keywords: social media, Solidarity March, political activism, Uses and Gratification theory