Slow down on Facebook, go register to vote

Tom Sangala June 23, 2018

295 2 minutes read

Like many other well-meaning Malawians, I am grieved at how social media is being used in today’s angry culture.

People are falling into the snare of sniping at each other in ways that are unthinkable. Social media has brought out all manner of people masquerading as political experts, patriots on social platforms to demonise others, condemn those they loathe and plant fake news all over.

We have many that have taken to social media to defame political leadership for positions taken, good or bad. Saulos Chilima’s decision to quit Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a case in point. Those who hate his guts, have now turned their anger towards him and are calling him all sorts of names.

Others have found comfort using their fake names to demonise former president Joyce Banda just because she has courage to stand up and be counted in her mission to make Malawi a better home for everyone.

President Peter Mutharika has not been spared too. His age has become a topic of discussion and honestly, I find very little wisdom and charity; instead , I see anger and self-righteous rhetoric with little concern on how to find solutions to resolving and making Malawi a better country for all of us.

I have noticed that when people are angry, they take to social media, and have no desire to keep matters proportionate in a proper context.

Malawi as a nation cannot thrive on hatred and mistrust being channelled on Facebook.

It cannot progress through ceaseless politicking while the masses continue suffering and remain poor. Not when consumer prices are soaring, the economy is tanking and unemployment rising.

After all is said and done, the anger on Facebook would not and cannot solve the problems that this country faces. It will not change the perceived bad leadership.

This can only change if you were to slow down on social media and go and register to vote, starting this week.

Many people vote because they are for or against an issue or a candidate. For others, voting is about ensuring high voter turnout, which results in greater access to elected officials and more of a say in decisions affecting a community, a country.

If you are Malawian and you want to change something, this is your chance.

Or even better, use social platforms to encourage others to register and vote.

Translate your Facebook anger into action and vote to change something.

Just the other day, I was arguing with my work colleague Brian Banda over the politics in sub-Saharan Africa; comparing our politics to our neighbours, Zimbabwe in particular.

After a while of this and that, we came to a sobering realisation that there is more of a blame game going on in Zimbabwe that is just portending doom for that country.

So we have agreed that from now onwards, we will use our platforms to mobilise people to go and register to vote.

We need to use our energies to find common ground because the grandstanding and shadow-boxing on Facebook will not resolve anything.

It will not help end poverty and bring in leadership that we all desire. Let’s go and register to VOTE!