Promote citizen engagement

It is good that government has finally come up with a social media policy for its agencies and civil servants. The new Social Media Use Policy and Implementation Plan made public by information minister Tjekero Tweya last week is an indication that government is moving with the times in its efforts to improve quality of service and enable greater citizen engagement. Almost every second person is on social media in Namibia these days and in many other countries have realised the enormous power of social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It is true that social media can also be a double-edged sword considering that it can be used by unscrupulous elements to spread inflammatory messages. Social media platforms can also be chaotic and difficult to control, but it is nevertheless an ideal platform to establish communities and networks without substantial costs. It is, however, disappointing to see many politicians and government agencies only using social media when it suits them. In the last general elections, political parties used the digital space to woo potential voters. They have since disappeared into thin air and are likely to resurface again during the next campaign period. Although the authorities deserve praise for introducing such a policy, which will now be integrated into government's information dissemination strategy, there are still lingering questions regarding its effectiveness. At the moment, many government officials, including ministers and accounting officers, have made it common practice to send journalists from pillar to postl; although there are a few that are really doing an exceptional job, so it isn't be fair to paint all government officials with the same brush. However, the majority of government officials clearly don't yet understand the role of the media and the significance of sharing vital information with the media. Now that government has rolled out its media use policy, it is imperative that there is an honest desire to serve the public interest through the involvement of bi-directional multimedia engagement.