Open AccessSocial media use for public engagement during the water crisis in Cape Town
Author(s) -
Chumani Waxa,
Leon Gwaka
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
information polity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1875-8754
pISSN - 1570-1255
DOI - 10.3233/ip-200273
Subject(s) - affordance , social media , attribution , public relations , qualitative property , cape , public engagement , netnography , crisis communication , sociology , collective action , qualitative research , political science , social psychology , psychology , social science , machine learning , politics , computer science , law , cognitive psychology
This study examines social media use for public engagement during the Cape Town water crisis in South Africa. The study applies technology affordance and attribution theories to explore social media features (affordances) utilised by local authorities and the public, meanings embedded in the social media posts and the attributions of the water crisis cause among the actors. Data gathering and analysis followed mixed methods. Qualitative data were gathered using key informant interviews and netnography (data scrapping on Twitter) while a household survey (n= 96) was conducted to obtain quantitative data. The university research committee and City of Cape Town issued ethical clearances. During the water crisis, metavoicing, persistent engagement and visibility emerged as social media affordances. Social media posts reflected societal dynamics and attributed the crisis as external, unstable, and controllable. These findings are critical towards handling future crises and suggest collaborative efforts as the desirable action.