Political candidates and parties harnessed Facebook as a tool for political
mobilisation and communication at the time of the Botswana 2014 election.
This paper explores the use of Facebook as a campaign tool in the 2014
Botswana general election. It argues that the extensive use of Facebook in
political campaigning has added a new dimension to electoral campaigns
in Botswana, by allowing political parties a relatively cheap means of
transmitting information.
Furthermore, Facebook has democratised media access, and has afforded
people who have previously been side-lined by traditional media an important
platform for political mobilization. Accordingly, Facebook has widened the
democratic space and reduced the disparities in the electoral arena. Most
importantly, it has generated interest in politics among young people.
The intersection between Facebook and traditional media and other social
media has augmented their efficiency by amplifying their reach. However,
Facebook does not replace traditional campaign approaches but rather serves
to augment them.