The Role of Social Media in the Mediation of Conflicts

The study explored the role of social media in the mediation of conflicts in Zimbabwe, with particular focus on the January 2019 protest in Hwange community. The continued exploitation of social media in protests in Zimbabwe with little or no strategies deliberated to de-escalate conflicts led into this inquiry. It was guided by the need to examine use of social media by Hwange people during January 2019 protests, establish how social media mediated January 2019 protests in Hwange and probe whether social media contributed to the escalation or de-escalation of January 2019 protests. It adopted a qualitative research approach with case research design and thematically analysed gathered primary and secondary data. The social constructionist approach to technology and mediatized conflict theories were utilised. The study conveniently sampled fifty residents and purposively sampled one journalist, one ward councilor, and four academics. In-depth interview and open-ended questionnaire guides were used. The results showed that audio-visuals encouraged residents to mobilise and participate in a protest. Furthermore, social media can either emancipate, give voice to voiceless or offer potential to reduce or fuel protest. The study concluded that use of videos, images, text and audios have potential to influence and escalate conflicts in Zimbabwe. Social media provided a formidable force that helped in mobilisation and to influence January 2019 protest and contributed to the escalation of the January 2019 protest. Lawmakers must re-align some sections of acts and repeal draconic laws and sections to offer media plurality, neutrality and freedom of expression and after expression to media institutions and journalists. Further studies to consider a comparative study and explore the same topic for comparative result