Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe cannot survive an era of internet openness This week Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe revealed a $300,000 reward to anyone who will uncover the identity of an internet mole known as "Baba Jukwa." But in a country which is getting ever more connected to the internet, can they really stop government secrets being revealed? Three out of five people in Zimbabwe now have direct access to social media in Zimbabwe, and with Baba Jukwa's revealing of information through Facebook people are becoming more and more aware of what is going on in their government. In a country which has been governed by a strict and corrupt ruler for more than 30 years this sudden access to the internet will surely result in backlash or even revolution. We have already seen the internet used as a tool of protest in recent years. With the 2011 Arab Spring starting from an internet campaign, it led to street rioting and inevitably a new government in countries in north Africa, there is nothing to say this change will not spread south and spark mass protests in Zimbabwe and perhaps elsewhere. The internet is also challenging the old ways of Mugabe; his policies and tactics are no longer viable in the internet age. He may be offering a reward for the identity of the mole, but it is not money the people of Zimbabwe want, it is transparency in government. In a country which has long controlled its population through propaganda in the media, people are finally discovering truth about their government. Money will not solve this problem, and nor will Mugabe's old fashioned tactics: it is honesty and which will. Unlike other dictatorships, such as North Korea, Zimbabwe has embraced the internet, and now the country will never be able to get rid of it and the information it has unleashed. This is a threat Mugabe has never known before and evidently does not know how to tackle. Even if Mugabe does catch Jukwa it will not solve his problem: because the internet is anonymous and as long as it is there as a platform people will use it. The mole could even be in another country, and Mugabe would be powerless to stop him. With his 90th birthday looming Mugabe's days are limited, and if his 32-year regime comes to an end the government will find it hard to resist change. Change is imminent in Zimbabwe and with an election occurring at the end of the month the internet will in no doubt be used heavily. At the last election violence was used as a tactic by the military, and there is no question it will be again, but with a population now largely online, and sharing information which up until now has been carefully handled by the government, freedom will ultimately triumph.