Hey Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng, listen up!

HEY Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng, listen up. You may not have grasped this fully, so let me explain: that TV licence? My tax bill? I and all the other people of South Africa (yes, all of them – even the poor pay VAT and petrol levies, directly or indirectly)… we pay your salary, mate!

So don’t you go telling us: “No one will tell us [the SABC] what to do”. The arrogance of it! This is the public broadcaster we’re talking about here. Owned by the state and therefore owned by you and me. Because let us not forget, WE are the state.

This is something that is overlooked globally the minute any party gets into power. It is the people who choose governments, mandated to govern FOR the people, in the interests of the people. The very word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek words polis (city) and polites (citizen). Without citizens, our little jumped-up emperors would find themselves without any clothes. Including the little emperors in state-owned entities like the SABC.

Because the power really resides with us. Yes, it does. We have forgotten what it means to be activists. It doesn’t just mean the vote, or protests in the streets with burning tyres and burning libraries (although I quite understand the immense frustration and anger that triggers this).

There are other tactics which can lead to successful activism. Like:

Call out the lies and deceit
Make the truth visible, don’t let it sink into the morass of rationalisation and obfuscations. Find the facts: how much money does the SABC claw in via advertising? Which are the big advertisers? Act on those facts in strategic ways – let those advertisers know what you think of their spend on the public broadcaster.

Support investigative journalism

You don’t have time to dig for the truth, but this is what journalists are FOR, this is their JOB – in an ideal world, which is not what we’re currently living in. When you see sloppy journalism, remember that the media is currently under the whip financially, and journalists are under pressure to bring in sensational, eye-grabbing stories.

But like the little girl with the curl, when they are good, they are very, very good. Remember Mandy Roussouw, who sadly died young three years ago? Yes, she broke the Nkandla story. Thank goodness for the amaBhungane investigative team, which chowed through the guff and annual reports and numbers to figure out how the Zuma family interests work.

We may need to think of different models to fund journalism in future, but never think we can do without it. Journalists (in an ideal world) have the skills and knowledge needed to parse obscure info, make connections, test and retest validity. If we lose journalism, we lose a massive tool of activism.

Use creative tactics that call attention to the cause

When legislation was promulgated that took away their right to strike, airline pilots in Canada started calling in sick, creating chaos which put pressure on government.

So when a minister declares that it’s perfectly possible to live on R753 a month, go out and do a R753 shop of food basics. Divide it up into 30 days and then cook a meal with the portions daily. Take pics and share it on social media – with the minister.

Recently, the NSPCA had a very successful campaign in which they advertised a dogfight on huge billboards. People took to Twitter and FB in shock. Yep, lots of people hated it and felt they’d been fooled – but nothing that I have seen has got more people stirred up about this disgusting and evil phenomenon. It brought in support and created awareness in spades.

Think creatively! Virtually everyone these days has the most amazing tools to hand for online activism (literally – the smartphone is an activist’s friend), and it can be very effective.

Copy successful models

Check it out: how did Section 27, OUTA and #ThisFlag get things done?

Use all available mechanisms for leverage

The public protector, the courts (yes, you can – a bunch of you can all chip in, or seek help from organisations designed to help out, like Lawyers for Human Rights) and more.

Know your facts and build your evidence

We’ve all seen the arrogance with which councillors, MECs and ministers brush aside the angry or distressed people who confront them at meetings, protests or on talk shows. They can sidestep, often because people can’t make an undeniable case. Make yourself acquainted with the laws and regulations around your cause, and keep evidence: look, Minister, I sent these emails, these letters, I wrote down what I said on these phone calls as well as the response I got…

Don’t ignore business and the middle class

In this world, corporations fund politicians, either directly (and why not campaign for those contributions to be surfaced?) or indirectly. Getting them riled upsets the polls. And stirring sympathy among the middle class can also be effective – considering how angry we all are right now, that could be a no-brainer.

You know what we all want? A free country – free from corruption and graft, with freedom of expression. As we head for the polls, let’s determine not to rely on the vote, and only the vote, in future. Let’s put our heads together and beat the pompous, the arrogant, the bullies. And here’s something to think about.

Let’s be the puny little ants – together!

*Mandi Smallhorne is a versatile journalist and editor. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter.