A vigilant voter’s elections guide to keep our digital streets safe from misinformation

Election season is upon us. And you can be assured, dear voter, that regardless of where you are in South Africa, how you get your news, or how much time you spend on social media and digital platforms, you are likely to be a target of disinformation over the next few months.

We are less than 90 days away from a very significant general election, and our politicians need your vote. So, they will find ways to convince you with their big ideas that only their policies are capable of positively shifting the trajectory of South Africa, while parading their shiny and charismatic leaders as our nation’s saviours.

Now, while this dynamic is a natural element of political campaigning, an insidious trend has emerged: the deliberate use of disinformation to instil fear, manipulate opinions and divide the electorate.

Take, for example, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s claim that social grants would disappear if opposition parties came into power, or former president Jacob Zuma, now a leader of the MK Party, who claimed that load shedding ended during his term in office.

Or Arise South Africa leader Mpho Dagada, who, in a video on X that received over 400,000 views, alleged that the ANC is trying to steal the election due to the Electoral Commission of SA’s (IEC) legal requirement that parties obtain thousands of signatures to contest elections at a national level and in each province. 

So, why do they do this?

Put simply, Ramaphosa wants you to be afraid that social grants will end if the ANC is not in power – even though the DA, EFF, Rise Mzansi and Change Starts Now have all outlined efforts to maintain and, in some instances, expand the provision of social grants.

Zuma wants to deflect from the fact that despite some reprieves from load shedding during his term, State Capture (including the capture of Eskom) and the failure to maintain our power plants plunged us into the crisis we are currently facing and in which he had a direct role.

And Dagada? Well, if he and his party were serious about contesting elections and participating meaningfully in our democracy, he would have known the criteria required by the IEC to get his party on the ballot, instead of putting out a dangerously false claim – due to his own party’s lack of homework – that our election is being stolen.     

These tactics are not unique to South Africa; they mirror global trends where information campaigns exploit biases and fears to influence voter behaviour. 

As we approach election day, such strategies are likely to intensify.

Getting out of your echo chamber

Be aware before you share

• Is this real? Is there any evidence to support the claims made in the post? Look for direct evidence supporting the claims. This could be in the form of statistics from reputable organisations, quotes from verifiable sources, or reports from credible news outlets.


• Who is the source of this content and are they credible? Determine who created or first shared the information. Is it an individual, an organisation or a news outlet? What is their reputation? Consider the source’s history. Have they been reliable and accurate in the past? Do they have expertise in the subject matter? Sources with a track record of accuracy and accountability are more reliable.


• Is this information published on a site/page that is trustworthy and reliable? Is the information coming from a well-known and respected news outlet, an official organisation or an established expert in the field? Trusted sources often have rigorous editorial standards and fact-checking processes. Look at the quality of the website or page sharing the information. Reputable sites typically have a professional appearance, clear information about their mission and the people behind them, and contact information. Be wary of sites that are filled with sensationalist headlines, numerous ads or lack transparency about their sources.


• Are there any biases and what is the intent? Consider the possible bias of the source and the intent behind the information. Is it meant to inform, persuade or incite? Recognising bias can help you understand the context and evaluate the information more critically.


• Does the content stir up particularly strong emotions? Disinformation often aims to elicit strong emotional reactions to drive shares and engagement. If a piece of content makes you feel extremely angry, scared or euphoric, take a moment to step back and critically assess it before sharing.

Digital vigilance

Every share counts