Exploring the use of social media to enhance public engagement during times of crisis in the city of Cape Town

Abstract

This study examined the use of social media to enhance public engagement during the water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa. It emerged from the water crisis experienced in Cape Town in the year 2017 which threatened water availability to households in the city. From the early stages of the crisis until its resolution, public authorities engaged local households using different platforms to disseminate various pieces of information. These included traditional platforms such as newspapers, radio, television, and community meetings, as well as modern platforms comprising primarily social media. The results reveal that the improved features of modern platforms make them more desirable than traditional platforms. However, in times of crisis, such as the water crisis, local authorities should be more decisive about which platforms to use since information needs to be disseminated quickly and with broad reach. There is limited knowledge regarding whether modern platforms such as social networking sites are reliable for public engagement during such times. Thus, this study used the technology affordance theory to explore the extent to which local authorities relied on social media to engage the public during the water crisis in Cape Town. In addition, the study applied the attribution theory to gain insight regarding the different causes ascribed to the water crisis by the local authorities and those ascribed to it by the public. Using a mixed methods approach, this study engaged affected communities and local authorities. Qualitative data were gathered using key informant interviews and data from Twitter, while a household survey was conducted to obtain quantitative data. The key findings reveal that local authorities rely significantly on social media for public engagement. Moreover, the findings show that there was sustained communication of important information between local authorities and the public during the water crisis. In addition, the findings indicate that many people are yet to use social media to engage local authorities. These findings are significant in that it may contribute towards further enhancement of communication between local authorities and the public, particularly in terms of the application of social media during similar public crises.