TY - JOUR AU - Matsilele, Trust AU - Mpofu, Shepherd AU - Msimanga, Mbongeni AU - Tshuma, Lungile PY - 2022/02/07 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Transnational hashtag protest movements and emancipatory politics in Africa: A three country study JF - Global Media Journal - German Edition JA - gmj-de VL - 11 IS - 2 SE - Peer-Reviewed Articles DO - 10.22032/dbt.51029 UR - https://globalmediajournal.de/index.php/gmj/article/view/211 SP - AB - <p><span id="page2503R_mcid30" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 205.033px; top: 585.233px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.19294);" role="presentation">This study explores three of sub</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid31" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 459.083px; top: 585.233px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif;" role="presentation">-</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid32" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 465.283px; top: 585.233px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.14036);" role="presentation">Saharan Africa’s hashtag movements: Zimbabwe’s</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid33" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.10813);" role="presentation">#ZimbabweanLivesMatter,</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid34" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 325.683px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0826);" role="presentation">Es</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid35" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 343.683px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.16549);" role="presentation">watini’s #</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid36" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 419.683px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.0826);" role="presentation">Es</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid37" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 437.683px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.14629);" role="presentation">watiniLivesMatter and Nigeria’s #EndS</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid38" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 740.967px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(0.994457);" role="presentation">ARS</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid39" class="markedContent"></span><span id="page2503R_mcid40" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 781.367px; top: 607.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.12862);" role="presentation">hashtags.</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid41" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 628.833px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.10196);" role="presentation">Theore</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid42" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 170.033px; top: 628.833px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.11866);" role="presentation">tically, we rely on the transnational alternative digital public sphere and hashtag activism to</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid43" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 650.633px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.11692);" role="presentation">understand how social media acted as a meeting place for mobilization and building cross bounda</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid44" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 672.433px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.10826);" role="presentation">ry pollination and unitary movements. This investigation relied o</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid45" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 597.717px; top: 672.433px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.1108);" role="presentation">n a combination of virtual ethnog</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid46" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 694.033px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.11357);" role="presentation">raphy and purposive sampling as methodological approaches. Thematic analysis was the analytical</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid47" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 715.867px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.14388);" role="presentation">tool employed with four themes informing this investigation: democratisation and human rights,</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid48" class="markedContent"> <span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 737.667px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.15612);" role="presentation">transnational solidarity, states</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid49" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 346.083px; top: 737.667px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.158);" role="presentation">’ response to hashtag movements and use of parody accounts as a </span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid50" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 759.467px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.11562);" role="presentation">counter hegemonic strategy. The study found that these hashtags and movements achieved a modi</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid51" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 781.267px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.10208);" role="presentation">cum of ‘success’ by forcing some of Africa’s enduring dictatorships to make piecemeal concessions </span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid52" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 118.24px; top: 803.067px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif;" role="presentation">o</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid53" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 127.24px; top: 803.067px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif; transform: scaleX(1.07896);" role="presentation">f varying degrees</span></span><span id="page2503R_mcid54" class="markedContent"><span dir="ltr" style="left: 251.833px; top: 803.067px; font-size: 16.6px; font-family: serif;" role="presentation">.</span></span></p> ER -