JABULANI SIKHAKHANE | Facebook publishers fuel anti-immigrant sentiment in KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal has seen an increase in the number of Zulu-language Facebook-based publishers, which have become a useful platform for the growing anti-immigrant movement in the province. They will likely be used in campaigns ahead of the forthcoming local government elections. Some of the publishers have shown double-digit growth in followers since the beginning of this year, with one growing followers by 34% between mid-February and May. Based on electoral experiences elsewhere in the world, the US in particular, the growth of these alternative sources of information could have serious implications for South African politics and the democratic project. Political parties that focus solely on the mainstream media to convey their messages will likely miss an important constituency that relies on Facebook-based publishers for information. KwaZulu-Natal is ripe for populist rhetoric. The 2026 voter participation survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found only 6% of adults in the province had confidence in democracy, down from 54% in 2004. This compares with a national decline from 65% to 36%. Trust in the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in KwaZulu-Natal was the lowest of all provinces at 20% (versus the national average of 36%). Worryingly, 88% said they were
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