Affiliations: [a] Department of Public Administration and Governance, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa | [b] Department of Internal Auditing and Financial Information Systems, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Leon Tinashe Gwaka, Department of Internal Auditing and Financial Information Systems, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Hanover St, Zonnebloem, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa E-mail: tinashegwaka@gmail.com.
Abstract: This study examines social media use for public engagement during the Cape Town water crisis in South Africa. The study applies technology affordance and attribution theories to explore social media features (affordances) utilised by local authorities and the public, meanings embedded in the social media posts and the attributions of the water crisis cause among the actors. Data gathering and analysis followed mixed methods. Qualitative data were gathered using key informant interviews and netnography (data scrapping on Twitter) while a household survey (n= 96) was conducted to obtain quantitative data. The university research committee and City of Cape Town issued ethical clearances. During the water crisis, metavoicing, persistent engagement and visibility emerged as social media affordances. Social media posts reflected societal dynamics and attributed the crisis as external, unstable, and controllable. These findings are critical towards handling future crises and suggest collaborative efforts as the desirable action.
Keywords: Cape Town, e-governance, social media, water crisis, public engagement
