One month to go

Today is exactly one month before the 2009 South African general elections – a date that is perceived by many in the country to be pivotal for our future. It is the day that will determine the direction our country is to move in almost more than the 1994 elections did.

It is interesting to note how, this time round, the political parties are utilising the internet and especially social media sites.

I have been reading the DA’s blog for quite some time, and follow Helen Zille on Twitter. The DA also have a supporter’s website and, I believe, a Facebook group.

I once added Patricia de Lille’s blog to my reader, but as she only made one post in six or so months, I realised she was obviously far too busy with something else to, you know, say anything – or maybe she just hates blogs and social media in general. At least her party, the Independent Democrats, do have a fairly decent website where they even offer a free ringtone for your phone.

COPE’s website is quite nice, attractive and easy to read. It also provides links to their YouTube channel, as well as their Flicker stream and Facebook group.

This morning, I discovered the ANC’s YouTube channel. The ANC also has a semi-ok official website, as well as the MyANC website for supporters. According to the MyANC website, where you can also find the ANC’s blog, there is a Facebook group and a twitter stream too, but I have not quite yet found the links.

The ANC also seems to have hired a couple of web jockeys to comment on forums and blogs with pro-ANC propaganda. This is especially true over at Thought Leader, where they manage to slip in some pro-ANC, pro-Zuma comment on non-political blogs. And I suspect one of their other jobs would be to maintain the Wikipedia page, because it is terribly biased and in keeping with the rest of the propaganda spread.

One also simply has to look at the online supporters banner over at SAelections:

According to this, the breakdown of online supporters is as follows:

• ANC: 22665
• COPE: 8820
• DA: 5209
• ACDP: 1043
• Freedom Front: 853

SAElections is also on Twitter.