Introduction

African politics is a game played on distinct fields; the government and ruling parties play on fertile, level fields, while opposition parties and people with alternative ideologies are compelled to play on uneven, rough fields. African political elites used to seize media for propagandist purposes because it is one of the governing powers, along with the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

How Influential Political Elites influence Media for their Political Benefit 

The people must hear your message in order for them to vote for you if you want to lead a democratic country. Since the media exists to spread messages, the majority of ruling elites attempt to sway the media to control the spread of messages that support their objectives. This is the reason why the government ultimately comes to control the media, particularly traditional mainstream media like print, radio, and television, which deny the opposition and those with other ideologies a voice or airtime. Nonetheless, social media via the internet gives voice to the voiceless by providing alternate avenues that are primarily being explored by rival political parties in Africa, especially in light of the current political climate in Mozambique.

Opposition Political Parties Exploring Social Media in Mozambique 

The internet has become a weapon to create or argue for level ground when it comes to media coverage, and opposition political parties find it challenging to navigate the public media space in Africa or obtain fair and sufficient airtime on public platforms such as TVM and Radio Mozambique in Mozambique. Other private radio and television stations have also been affected as a result of the governing class’s influence over their owners. Opposition politicians decide to use social media to spread information as a result of these factors. But the government also saw social media use as dangerous, so they tried to restrict access to the internet, especially on Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and other social media sites. Nevertheless, some citizens circumvented the restrictions by utilizing a VPN, while local civil societies and international human rights organizations contended that the restrictions violated the UN Charter, which asserts that every individual globally possesses the right to information.

Fame through Social Media

Despite chances to articulate their perspectives, political goals, and public engagement, the internet, and social media serves as a refuge for marginalised opposition political entities. Similar to Barack Obama, the first majority party leader to leverage social media was Venancio Bila Mondlane, a prominent political figure who has garnered recognition and political messages through platforms such as Facebook and Youtube. Consequently, he has faced derision and hostility from supporters of the ruling party FRELIMO, labelling him as the ‘social media president’; always sharing his information and publishing his new laws and policies.

Conclusion

Basically, the elites in Africa, including Mozambique, have taken control of the mainstream media to protect their rule and rid themselves of authority. Political or civil society opposition forces are primarily constrained, but social media has now removed this obstacle. Nowadays, social media provides a forum for communication and expression for all.

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