#ZUMAMUSTFALL

zuma must fall sign on a billboard

One of the campaigns which started just after when president Jacob Zuma has made a decision of removing Mr Nhlanhla Musa Nene as the minister of finance and replaced him with David Van Rooyen on the 9th of December 2015 Background summary. However, i am not condoning the #zumamustfall campaign, but how can one make such a big decision without having to call members of the board or his colleagues and have a proper discussion by giving reasons and facts of why this decision should be made. Strange isn't it?

This campaign has a lot of factors contributing to it, looking at #feesmustfall, #parliamentmustfall, #paybackthemoney and so forth. Remember the time when we experienced dry season? Were there was no water, no rain? Were live stocks were dying of drought, were crops had to be watered, what happened? This led to #rainmustfall, and all these factors contributed to #zumamustfall campaign. The president was even blamed as we experienced drought, "like he could make the rain fall by paying back the money, how ironic is that?" On the very same day as the State of the Nation Address 2016, people decided not watch the SONA, rather gather and start a #zumamustfall march.

Some of the tweets on #zumamustfall

HOW THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THIS MATTER.

As there were signs of #zumamustfall on the billboards, according  to Dirk Smit, the "ANC" Councilors removed the signs of #zumamustfall and therefore the investigations were made to find out out who participated in vandalising a billboard with the sign #zumamustfall. However, the billboards were removed by the ANC supporters together with the ANCYL.

ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON #ZUMAMUSTFALL

• The campaign became a success to unite whites and blacks, as they gathered and showed unity through marching.
• The campaign gave people a chance to express the freedom of speech knowing very well that their posts will be seen, more especially by everyone on social networks.

CHALLENGES OF #ZUMAMUSTFALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA 

This campaign of #zumamustfall led to corruption happening in our country, whereby people start committing crimes because zuma does not want to fall. The issue has went internationally, and this has made our country a laughing stock. Big investors have pulled out as they think that our president
is not fit to lead South Africa due to decision he makes like the removal of Nhlanhla Musa Nene the minister of finance.  This matter also had a negative impact on the SONA as the president was not given a chance to address the nation. Workers started going on strike, like the university outsourced staff, national airport workers, JRA and other organisations. Billboards with the sign of #zumamustfall were displayed and this was probably seen by other countries.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE STRATEGIC USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

I conclude by saying, such matters should be an internal thing and social media should be monitored as to see what is being said about the president, why is it being said and when was it said. If anyone in future posts anything that can have a negative impact on the state, they should be held accountable because people are now abusing the freedom of speech.

THE POWER OF HASHTAGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

#FEESMUSTFALL

students marching 

Just a brief summary, the fees must fall campaign is one of the students protest that started at the University of the Witwatersrand after students have heard that fees for the next academic year will increase by 10.5%. But why because some of us cannot even afford to pay for our studies? Anyway that is a story for another day. So basically the protest started as #Witsfeesmustfall, then after a while other universities joined the protest and it led to #feesmustfall Background summary.
Without the social media, this could not have gone this far to a point whereby all universities shut down for the same reasons.

ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON #FEESMUSTFALL

• As a thought leader on the strategic use of social media, #FEESMUSTFALL social media campaign went viral within a waste of time. 
•           The hashtag got to reach a vast audience which includes all students across the world and the government. Students from other varsities became aware of what is happening in this side of town through #FEESMUSTFALL. 
• Other hashtags were established after #FEESMUSTFALL. Some of the hashtags were #RAINMUSTFALL, #RHODESMUSTFALL, #ZUMAMUSTFALL, UCTSHUTDOWN, #PARLIAMENTMUSTFALL in fact everything in south had to fall. How ironic is that? 

DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON #FEESMUSTFALL

• Once the hashtag goes viral it becomes difficult to control the matter. Hashtags usually result with a negative impact, in way that a campaign has influenced a lot of people. #feesmustfall caused violence between students and the police officers because students tried to keep the momentum of the campaign in wrong ways and it became difficult for the state to control this matter. 
• Usually it result as a negative impact as they (audience) always have something bad to say about the brand.
• Once your phrase has a hashtag on it, it is no longer private because your profile will most likely to appear when people search for stories about that hashtag.
•            People end up including other hashtags after the main content, this is to promote or sell themselves as brands. And most of the time whatever they include is irrelevant to the content. “#feesmustfall, #callmewhatever, #weedingvibes”, etc. (^_^)

HOW THE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE RESPONDED TO #FEESMUSTFALL.

Cassper and Ifani donates to #AccessCampaign run by wits students.  

AKA joins the protest to support students.

The president had to release a statement after a meeting with the university chancellors  and student leaders which announced that there will be no fee increment for the next academic year, Thank you so much Mr President. Other celebrities like Mzayifani Boltina, who is known as "IFANI" joined the campaign by donating R50 000 to help those students at wits who had outstanding debts. Ifani started a challenge which aimed at encouraging other South African celebrities to help raise 10 million that is needed to cover student’s debts at Wits University. Cassper Nyovest also played a role by accepting Ifani's challenge to match his 50k, he also donated to help students settle their outstanding debts so they can be able to register for the next academic year.  This campaign also got some of the celebrities involved in the movement as they were supporting students. Just like a South African hip hop artist Kiernan Forbes known as AKA and Ashley Raphala (DJ shimza). 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGIC USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

In conclusion, I would  recommend that the campaign should be ran on all social networks like Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Twitter and Facebook as to be able to target all students.

The public relations practitioners for big companies must act first by making students aware of how they can assist through #feesmustfall, probably by expanding the number of applications made available for bursaries. This will maintain the good image of the company as students will be spreading the word to other students on campus.Tips for using social media as a marketing strategy