How Twitter was used to Scrutinise the Zimbabwe Elections with Sokwanele
Back in June 2008, one of the key “quiet” news sources for Bloggers and Journalists tracking the Zimbabwe elections was a Twitter feed run by the Zimbabwe Civic Action Support Group alongside their blog Sokwanele (”Enough is Enough”).
I ran a Flick-R photo feed about abuse and violence meted out by Robert Mugabe’s followers to those opposing his regime in the elections in Zimbabwe for several weeks.
Bur the Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/sokwanele was the place for breaking news. Here are the entries from late May covering the detention of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Here’s the Tweet that broke the news.
This Is Not The Way Forward
It is called “historic” by some, but really the opposite is true. Instead of being the “first tentative step towards searching for a solution to a country that is in crisis”, it is a blow to democracy.
Tsvangirai has made a massive mistake by agreeing to talk with Mugabe about a power-sharing agreement. There can be [...]
Zimbabwe Investments
A storm has risen up over MPs having investments in Zimbabwe. Or, rather, as the facts actually are, in companies which have a presence in Zimbabwe.
The Independent On Sunday proclaims that:
Three of David Cameron’s frontbenchers are among six Conservatives – and one Liberal Democrat – with investments together worth more than £1m in firms trading [...]
Democracy Today: We The People
The attitude of politicians today to democracy can so well be summed up by the cartoon below, by Peter Brookes in the Times.
All for democracy - except where it might adversely affect them and what they want. Screw the people! Democracy is for the politicians!
There are two main areas in which democracy is taking a [...]
What Can Be Done About A Problem Like Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe under Mugabe is thoroughly undemocratic. It has become the worst kind of dictatorship, the kind that doesn’t even bother to hide the disgusting things that it is doing, and just ignores, beats up, or kills anyone who disagrees with it.
Mugabe has destroyed the economy, taking Zimbabwe from the bread-basket of Africa to the basket [...]
Help Zimbabwe from your chair
On Monday, Lovemore Matombo and Wellington Chibebe, respectively the President and General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trades Unions (ZCTU), will stand trial to face charges of ’spreading falsehoods prejudicial to the state’. Those falsehoods are, in fact, criticisms they made on May Day of Mugabe’s government and telling the truth about the violence [...]
