A door-to-door campaigning moment for Zizi Kodwa may not exactly have gone to plan, but it certainly went viral.
After the Deputy Minister of the Presidency, alongside Newzroom Africa, allegedly set out on a campaigning venture as the national elections approaches, they weren’t exactly met with open arms. Arriving at local Pee-Jay Jafta’s house, asking for some sugar probably would’ve been a better option.
“My daughter chased them,” Jafta expressed with comedic tone.
“So this evening I saw my house on the news but they didn’t show the part where my daughter was chasing them.”
Zizi Kodwa came to campaign at my house today together with the anc people and Newzroom Africa. My daughter chased them ???? so this evening I saw my house on the news but they didn’t show the part where my daughter was chasing them???
— Pee-Jay (@MsPee_Jafta39) October 16, 2021
Jafta’s tweet-story has got South Africans rolling in laughter, largely on the premise that the young girl (revealed to be a 19-year-old student) candidly did what she felt was right.
Here are some reactions.
????????????????????✊✊✊✊ I need to adopt the daughter. She is a leader???♥️ https://t.co/RdDdvSb81L
— Sizeka WaMaNgelengele (@wamangelengele) October 17, 2021
I’m so proud ??? https://t.co/XQCYNRbtpJ
— Ke Starring? (@Thabiso_IsReal) October 17, 2021
This is beautiful?? https://t.co/fYPCAV0dqF
— Dakalo (@DakiRams) October 17, 2021
I love your daughters work ?. https://t.co/m3u5NXAPNA
— lauren. (@Laureasons_) October 18, 2021
This daughter is a National Treasure …she is Leadership ????????? https://t.co/ErJaZdFYLP
— MaHlela ❤️✨ (@pthlela) October 17, 2021
Of course, chasing away politicians isn’t something that hasn’t happened before. However, people’s responses were the interesting part of the tale, and as someone trained in political analysis, here are my thoughts, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt.
- ‘Traditional campaigning’ just doesn’t seem to have the weight it once did.
- The younger electorate demographic isn’t as easily entertained or intimidated by presidency symbols.
- Door-to-door campaigning probably needs to be reimagined – especially because people have very much separated their personal lives (the home) and their political lives.
- Most people aren’t seeing it as a young person being disrespectful, but rather standing in their grounds and even dubbing it leadership.
- There’s a social shift in generational appeasement.
- The role of social media certainly can’t be ignored in campaigning, and as it was pointed out the clip, was allegedly modified in the Newzroom edit, but social media disarms censorship.
There’s a lot to be said in light of endeavours to do with winning the hearts of a country – but if Pee-Jay Jafta’s snippet shows us anything, it’s that social media sees all – and will respond accordingly.
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Picture: Twitter