Different countries use psychological operations (PSYOP) to control public opinion and to hide their shortcomings. The aim is to influence citizens’ emotions, motives and objective reasoning, which affect the behaviour of individuals, institutions, organisations and the government.

This strategy has been the instrument for a long time in SA, and it is only in the last decade where cracks are more apparent than before. The state capture report exacerbated questions around the credibility of the ruling party, and the timing of the Phala Phala farmgate brought more confusion than solutions...