Zimbabwe continues to dissipate into continuities of political, social and economic turmoil since the departure of former president, Robert Mugabe, after a military intervention in November 2017, and the subsequent closely contested harmonised elections nine months later. This article presents new evidence on the experiences of Zimbabweans living in the diaspora towards #shutdownZimbabwe2019 when the government shut down social media. Drawing on data from in-depth interviews, participant observations and Netnography, I show that the shutdown had social effects on Zimbabweans in the diaspora.

social impact; social media; protest; shutdown; Zimbabwe diaspora; Zimbabwe