The role of social media during civil unrest: a case of the 2021 looting in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, and I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”—Isaiah 41:10 First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Elvis Madondo. Your tireless support, mentoring and patience were crucial to this study. Your understanding and guidance have always been a beacon that has guided me. I am very fortunate to have a supervisor who always encourages and motivates me. His positive attitude has led me to complete this study. I am eternally grateful for your invaluable contributions to this study. Thank you so much Dr Madondo. Secondly, I would like to thank my mother from the bottom of my heart. Mom your constant encouragement and support have been my pillar along the way. You are my pillar of support, and for that I am eternally grateful. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my brother. Your support has been instrumental in my ability to complete this study. Your faith in me has given me the confidence to persevere and finish this work. Most importantly, I would like to thank my daughter who is three years and my late partner. This study is also dedicated to them. Their love and support were my driving force, and even though my partner is no longer with us, I am doing this for our daughter. The memory of you lives on in every page of this study because when I started this journey, you were there encouraging me and always reminding me that I was doing this to better myself and to secure a better future for our daughter. Lastly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to God Jehovah, who has been my rock and source of strength throughout the writing of this dissertation. During a time of profound personal loss after losing my partner and best friend, God's grace and sustaining power carried me through the challenges of research and writing. I am eternally grateful for him giving me strength during this difficult time.