Integrating social media into CBM frameworks offers a promising solution for addressing the limitations of traditional CBM tools and mitigating the rising public discontent. (Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The exclusion of citizens from effective participation in monitoring public services has led to a deep sense of alienation and frustration. This disconnect between the government and its people has had dire consequences, most notably in the form of widespread service delivery protests, which have often escalated into violence.
Over the past decade, the frequency and intensity of these protests have surged, reflecting deep-seated dissatisfaction with the government’s ability to meet basic needs and a perceived lack of responsiveness to citizen concerns. In 2022 alone, South Africa witnessed more than 900 service delivery protests.
These protests are driven by unmet demands for essential services such as water, sanitation, electricity and housing. This escalation is also a symptom of the erosion of trust in public institutions and the failure of existing citizen-based monitoring (CBM) mechanisms to provide effective citizen engagement and feedback channels.
The array of CBM tools, including the framework by the department of planning, monitoring and evaluation, transparency portals, presidential hotlines, community scorecards and grievance redress mechanisms have largely failed to achieve their intended goals.
They suffer from inefficiencies, poor accessibility and limited public awareness. For example, the department’s CBM framework relies on outdated methods that fail to meet the public’s demand for timely and transparent communication.
Transparency portals and hotlines, designed to facilitate citizen engagement, are often difficult to navigate and slow to respond, discouraging their use. Additionally, because of insufficient resources and institutional support, community scorecards and grievance redress mechanisms have not been widely adopted.
These shortcomings have created a disconnect between the government and its citizens, reducing the effectiveness of these tools and contributing to growing public dissatisfaction.
According to Research ICT Africa, even among those with internet access, awareness and use of these CBM tools remain low, mainly because these platforms are not user-friendly and do not provide the real-time interaction that citizens increasingly expect in today’s fast-paced digital environment.
The slow response times and lack of follow-through on issues reported through transparency portals and hotlines have led to widespread dissatisfaction.
In stark contrast, social media platforms, which are used daily by millions of South Africans, offer instant communication and immediate feedback, making them far more effective for real-time citizen engagement.
South Africans spend an average of nearly 10 hours a day online, with a significant portion of this time spent on social media, highlighting the potential of these platforms to serve as more effective channels for monitoring public services, according to We Are Social.
The Public Service Commission and the auditor general’s reports consistently emphasise that without a more responsive and inclusive approach to citizen engagement, the government’s capacity to monitor and improve public service delivery will remain compromised.
This situation underscores the urgent need to shift toward more dynamic, accessible and efficient monitoring tools, such as those provided by social media platforms, to rebuild trust and enhance governance.
The auditor general’s 2021-22 financial year report also highlights systemic weaknesses in governance and accountability. Only 28% of municipalities achieved clean audits, indicating widespread financial mismanagement, under-spending and inefficiencies affecting service delivery.
These findings underscore the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the CBM framework to include more effective, technology-driven solutions to bridge the gap between citizens and the state, restore public trust and prevent further social and economic deterioration.
Integrating social media into CBM frameworks offers a promising solution for addressing the limitations of traditional CBM tools and mitigating the rising public discontent.
With more than 25 million social media users in South Africa as of 2023, platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and X have become ubiquitous communication tools across all demographics, including marginalised communities, according to DataReportal. These platforms are an ideal medium for real-time citizen engagement and interaction with government officials.
Although only 64% of households had internet access in 2022, mobile phone penetration stood at 96%, with 58% of the population using smartphones, according to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.
This high level of mobile connectivity, coupled with the widespread use of social media apps like WhatsApp (which is used by 93% of internet users), presents an opportunity for the government to engage with citizens in real-time, irrespective of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.
Moreover, the immediacy and accessibility of social media platforms can enhance the government’s ability to respond to citizen concerns.
For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic, social media platforms were crucial in disseminating public health information and coordinating relief efforts, demonstrating their effectiveness in managing real-time communication between the government and citizens.
Furthermore, social media platforms offer powerful tools for gathering data on public sentiment, which can be instrumental in preemptively identifying and addressing emerging issues before they escalate into widespread unrest. Studies have shown that governments that actively engage with citizens on social media are better positioned to manage crises and maintain public order.
But, for social media to be effectively integrated into CBM frameworks, the government must ensure that these platforms are used in a manner that is both secure and compliant with legal standards. The Protection of Personal Information Act provides a critical legal framework for safeguarding citizens’ data.
Still, additional measures are needed to address the specific problems associated with social media use. The government must establish clear guidelines for data collection, storage and analysis within CBM processes, ensuring that citizens’ privacy is protected and their data is used ethically and transparently.
These guidelines should include procedures for handling and responding to citizen feedback on social media, ensuring that government interactions with the public are consistent, professional and effective.
Moreover, capacity-building initiatives are essential to effectively equip citizens and public officials with the skills to use social media for CBM.
These programmes should focus on educating people about their rights and responsibilities in the digital space and providing practical training on using social media tools to monitor public services and communicate with government representatives. Public officials need specialised training to ensure they can effectively manage social media interactions, analyse public sentiment and respond to citizen concerns promptly and appropriately.
The government must adopt a strategy that integrates these platforms into existing monitoring frameworks. This requires more than just technological adoption; it necessitates a rethinking of governance processes to ensure that citizen input is solicited and incorporated into decision-making and service delivery improvements.
To fully leverage these platforms, the government must address the digital divide that still limits access for many citizens, particularly in rural areas where internet penetration is lower and digital literacy rates are lagging.
The government should invest in expanding internet infrastructure to underserved areas and provide digital literacy training through public-private partnerships that bring together government resources, private sector expertise and community involvement.
As the country faces ongoing inequality, poverty and service delivery failures, the need for a more inclusive, transparent and responsive governance model is critical. Social media provides the tools necessary to bridge the gap between government and citizens, enabling real-time engagement, feedback and collaboration that can lead to more effective and equitable public services.
Dr Lesedi Senamele Matlala is a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg’s School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, College of Business & Economics.
