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Viewing cable 09PRETORIA779, South African Political Parties Have Embraced Social Media,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09PRETORIA779 2009-04-20 15:05 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Pretoria
VZCZCXRO4253
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHSA #0779/01 1101505
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201505Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8165
INFO RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9101
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0870
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 6754
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 000779 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S - RMARBURG 
DEPT FOR AF/PD - LALLISON, RBROOKS 
DEPT FOR IIP/AS - CBERGIN 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SA KDEM SF
SUBJECT: South African Political Parties Have Embraced Social Media, 
But Is Anyone Listening? 
 
1. SUMMARY: (U) Reportedly inspired by the dynamic e-campaign of 
President Obama, South African political parties have launched 
multifaceted digital platforms to reach voters in advance of the 
April 22 elections. Most parties now have targeted websites, voter 
activism forums, interactive media opportunities and blogs by party 
leaders, as well as outreach through Twitter and Facebook. However, 
in a country where only 10% of the population is online, media 
experts see little return on this investment in this election. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) According to a recent report, "Internet Access in South 
Africa," released by World Wide Worx, a South African technology 
research firm, the number of internet users in South Africa grew by 
12.5% to 4.6 million users in 2008, equaling approximately 10.5% of 
South Africa's estimated population of 43,786,115.  In contrast, 
over 90% of the population uses cell phones in South Africa. 
However, political parties have made little obvious effort to 
exploit this cheap and easy access to party members and voters. 
 
Big Parties, Big Online Official Presence... What Ompact? 
 
3. (U) South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress 
(ANC), takes a government-focused approach to its online presence 
(www.myanc.org). Election information is buried in the site and 
there are only infrequent updates of events and press releases. The 
site features personal statements from ANC president and 
presidential candidate Jacob Zuma, as well as downloadable versions 
of the ANC's political platform.  It also purports to feature blog 
entries from ANC leadership, but only seven entries have been 
submitted, with no entries on health, HIV/AIDS, youth or the 
economy. ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte stated in a press report: 
"Our blog is a natural extension of the active listening, responding 
and engagement that the ANC has consistently done throughout its 97 
years of existence. We see it as a 'virtual imbizo' [community 
meeting]....It's an extension of our engagement with citizens. More 
talking. More listening. And most importantly, more conversation." 
This policy is not evident on the official website, where the ANC 
has offered limited conversation at this level. 
 
4. (U) The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has 
been the most dynamic player in the online campaign field. In 
addition to its official website (http://www.da.org.za/), the DA 
also has launched several niche sites, including a voter activism 
site (http://contributetochange.org.za) "designed to help deliver 
the South African dream to the rainbow people."  It provides 
guidance for DA recruitment and electioneering, information on local 
DA events and groups, canned letters to the press, and tools to 
start political blogs. Shortly after the National Prosecuting 
Authority dropped corruption charges against the ANC's president, 
Jacob Zuma, the DA launched a special website soliciting donations 
to revive the legal case at http://realanctoday.wordpress.com. The 
DA has also promoted a "stealth marketing campaign" on Facebook, but 
it relies primarily on tried-and-true traditional SA campaign models 
such as paper canvassing. 
 
5. (U) The Congress of the People (COPE), a break-away faction of 
the ANC, has styled itself as a spoiler in this year's elections, 
hoping to capture the disaffected urban black ANC voter and white 
voters who view a vote for the DA as ineffectual. COPE has been 
Qvoters who view a vote for the DA as ineffectual. COPE has been 
criticized for failing to establish itself as a viable party and not 
running an effective campaign.  Its official website 
(http://www.congressofthepeople.org.za/) is evidence of this -- an 
amateurish-looking site, the COPE official page details insider 
infighting and low-level policy squabbles. The COPE Forum 
(http://forum.copeconnect.co.za/), the interactive portion of the 
COPE official online infrastructure, provides updated news and the 
possibility to ask questions of COPE leadership but without a 
mechanism to receive responses. 
 
6. (U) Other political parties, including South Africa's third 
largest party, the KwaZulu Natal-based Inkatha Freedom Party (23 
seats in parliament, http://www.ifp.org.za/) and the United 
Democratic Movement (six seats in parliament, 
http://www.udm2009elections.co.za/), maintain a professional and 
election-targeted online presence. Both sites, as well as the sites 
of even smaller parties, such as the Independent Democrats (five 
seats in parliament, http://www.id.org.za/) and the African 
Christian Democratic Party (four seats in parliament, 
http://www.acdp.org.za/index.php?page=home) offer separate sites, or 
sub-sites, targeting youth voters (such as the DA's 
http://www.youngleaders.org.za/)  and issue-specific theses. 
 
7. (U) With very few exceptions, all SA party official sites are 
focused on providing canned information, rather than offering an 
 
PRETORIA 00000779  002 OF 003 
 
 
interactive forum for voters to ask questions and demand answers. As 
Jude Mathurine, new media lecturer at Rhodes University, stated in 
an AFP report, "The beauty of online in Obama's model is that his 
key advisors and he took the time to engage with users online. Our 
leaders do not take the time to join in online chats, encourage 
questions and emails to MPs, or even Twitter." 
 
Facebook and Twitter: Reaching New Voters or The Same Old 
Supporters? 
 
8. (U) The mainstream parties, the ANC and DA, both have a 
significant Facebook presence but at levels that reflect internet 
use and saturation in their respective community bases. The DA's 
18,000+ membership (similar to COPE's membership) is progressive, 
middle class and professional - more likely to have computers at 
home and be inclined to join social networking groups. The DA 
Facebook page is complex and utilizes every conceivable avenue of 
social media: video, webchats, donations and more links to policy 
papers than on their static public website.  While the public 
internet site prominently features and promotes Helen Zille, the DA 
leader, the Facebook page represents more of a collective effort, a 
movement. Helen Zille is also a frequent Twitter-er, publishing 
frank statements about how she views the current state of political 
affairs in SA, as well as updates on her speaking engagements and 
events. 
 
9. (U) The ANC's 6,700 Facebook members also reflect a level of 
national support but perhaps among those without ready internet 
access or interest. The ANC page is static: no video, few forums, no 
link to 'stealth media campaigns.' The ANC also has over 330 
followers on Twitter, but appears to treat Twitter as a press 
release feed for the party as it is not focused on elections and has 
no other value added. 
 
10. (U) In stark contrast to its 'official' website, COPE has a very 
dynamic social media presence, with almost 1,900 discussion topics; 
2,000 photos; 20 videos; and a whopping 20,800 members on Facebook. 
Interaction between party members and supporters is constant and 
colorful in the forums. Forums range from the latest COPE press 
release to opinions on the latest episode of South African Idol to 
more substantive issues, such as "Topic: I don't hate Zuma or the 
ANC -- I just like COPE!" However, COPE's Twitter feed, with only 31 
followers, generally focuses around media events and sees very 
little use by the party or its followers. 
 
11. (U) The niche Inkatha Freedom Party only has 169 'members' on 
Facebook but also is tied to a number of sub-pages, including 
isiZulu language pages. Activity on the site is infrequent, with 
fewer than 25 total posts in the forum. 
 
Everyone Has a Mobile Telephone 
 
12. (U) Estimates state that over 90% of South Africa's population 
has a mobile telephone, but SA's political parties have not 
exploited this technology for the 2009 elections. While press 
reports claim "voters can join the UDM via SMS, download an ID 
election ring tone, make a mobile donation to COPE, or subscribe to 
the ANC's weekly SMS news alerts," (Mail and Guardian, March 2009), 
the average voter has no information on how to access this 
interactive technology.  Of the main political parties, only the ANC 
features a prominently displayed application explaining how to 
register for mobile updates. 
 
13. (U) A private company has stepped into the arena with a new 
platform for mobile telephones for the 2009 elections. Mig33 
Qplatform for mobile telephones for the 2009 elections. Mig33 
(www.mig33.com) is a mobile application that hosts platforms for 
social interactions, chatrooms and now South African political 
parties. However, despite media reports, mig33 appears to be an 
under-used resource with very little name recognition among South 
Africans.  Still, the major parties, including the DA, ANC, ID and 
UDM, have created open groups in mig33 chat rooms. 
 
14. (SBU) In contrast to the significant role that mobile telephone 
technology played in recent elections in Kenya and the Philippines, 
it appears that mobile telephone electioneering is only just 
beginning in South Africa.  According to Consulate Durban poloff 
contacts, the DA does plan on sending 1.5 million "get out the vote" 
SMSs immediately before election day to motivate both committed 
voters and to influence the undecided vote. Reportedly, other 
political parties are requesting cell phone numbers from supporters 
to communicate directly with them on election day. 
 
15. (U) COMMENT: The 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign 
captured the attention and imagination of most South Africans and 
 
PRETORIA 00000779  003 OF 003 
 
 
has undoubtedly inspired new media campaign techniques in this South 
African election cycle. Despite low internet penetration, the 
parties recognize an urgent need to get online in order to at least 
keep up the appearance of being modern, tech-savvy and 
youth-oriented.  While these innovative campaign techniques are 
unlikely to have significant impact on the outcome of this election, 
they are laying the groundwork for future political movements after 
the laying of broadband cable and the 2010 World Cup hopefully 
explode the now closely-controlled internet market in South Africa. 
END COMMENT. 
 
LA LIME