By Tokologo Lekoma
Rhodes University hosted a thought-provoking Social Media Dialogue on Monday, 21 July 2025, “What is social about social media?”
Thumamna Sibhozo and Lorah Dzimwasha, the evening’s facilitators, introduced the event enthusiastically. Students, staff, and guests were encouraged to question each of their positions in creating a conducive space for open communication on and offline.
It was announced that the evening’s goals were to:
- Motivate students to use social media for growth, learning, and teamwork
- Emphasise employment prospects and online hazards in educational settings
- Encourage participants to share their experiences, pose questions, and use the internet more thoughtfully.
Vuyiswa, a poet, gave the audience a moving performance of her poem Unconsciousness before the official discussion started. The poem, full of metaphors and rhythm, provided a multi-layered analysis of identity, technology, and self-control in a time when digital “giants” rule the world. The audience responded audibly to the line, “How can consciousness stay unwounded when minds are plagued with kwashiorkor in the land of plenty?” This encapsulated the piece’s intellectual and emotional gravity.
Moremogolo Malebana, affectionately known as Moremogolo Moremogolo, a PhD candidate and university lecturer specialising in online freedom of expression, gave the keynote address. Malebana questioned current views of social media as purely a means of influence and visibility in her speech. “You claim to have 4 000 followers, but what are they doing with your content?” she asked. She expressed the local and global consequences by citing well-known South African and international cases where people lost their jobs or reputations due to harmful social media posts. Her examples, from Penny Sparrow to Justine Sacco, reinforced the delicate balance between accountability and digital freedom.
“Those who understand the law will remind us that freedom still has limitations even as we talk about freedom of speech,” she continued. Malebana’s keynote emphasised a more general question throughout the evening: What precisely is “social” about social media, and what obligations come with having an online presence?
The event sparked insightful discussions about student agency, online identity, and the place of academia in a digital world.
