Overview

This book provides case studies on the strategies used by African governments in monitoring and controlling digital and social media, as well as the implications of such actions for claims about media freedom and freedom of expression. Further, the book examines the human rights challenges posed by state control and monitoring of digital and social media forms of communication. In the context of a digital surveillance state, it questions how digital and social media can possibly enhance the democratisation of both the communicative and political spaces. The book focuses on questions of censorship and control of digital and social media in ‘supposedly’ democratic societies. It discusses regulation and how governments have imposed their state power by ‘switching off’ the internet and blocking social media sites under the guise of national security and order maintenance.

Full Product Details

Author:   Henri-Count Evans ,  Ruth Teer-Tomaselli ,  Ruth Teer-Tomaselli ,  Tinashe Mawere
Publisher:   University of Westminster Press
Imprint:   University of Westminster Press
ISBN:  

9781915445056

ISBN 10:   1915445051
Pages:   206
Publication Date:   12 June 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Contributors Introduction Chapter 1. The Materiality and Political Economy of Social Media in Africa: Power Retention and (Dis)Empowerment Chapter 2. Digital Communication and Social Media Infrastructures in Eswatini: Legitimating or Challenging the Status Quo? Chapter 3. Regulating Dissent on Social Media during Elections: The Cases of Uganda and Zimbabwe Chapter 4. Instigators, Rebels, Miscreants, and Hooligans: Reframing Social Media Activists in Contemporary Africa Chapter 5. The Weaponisation of Social Media in Zimbabwe: An Insight into Internet Usage and Government Restrictive Responses Chapter 6. Wedging Participatory Gaps? Minority Superusers’ Dominance of Discourse on Twitter during Elections and the Perpetuation of Online Discursive Inequalities Chapter 7. Social Media, Digital Influencers, and Social Participation in Mozambique: A Case Study of the Digital Influencer Salésio Do Pânico Chapter 8. Animation and Social Media as Alternative and Counterhegemonic Digital Public Sphere in Zimbabwe Conclusions. Navigating the Contested Terrain of Digital and Social Media in Africa Index

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Author Information

Dr Henri-Count Evans is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Eswatini Ruth Teer-Tomaselli is Professor Emeritus and Research Fellow at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Tinashe Mawere is a researcher at the University of Pretoria, South Africa

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