‘Dead leaders’ appeals likely to leave many cold
ELECTION posters bearing slogans such as “Defend Madiba’s Legacy” and “Do It For Raj” may tug at the heartstrings of older voters, but they are likely to leave the young and the critical indifferent.
So say political scientists of the electioneering tactics of parties such as the ANC and the Minority Front, which evoke the names of their deceased leaders.
The ANC and MF have put up posters asking would-be voters to vote as a tribute to respective former party leaders Nelson Mandela and Amichand Rajbansi. Mandela died in December and Rajbansi in December 2011.
“An educated and politically literate voter will not be easily swayed by such emotional appeals as asking him or her to vote in the memory of a deceased person,” said Lubna Nadvi, a lecturer at the University of KwaZuluNatal.
“The voters . . . usually have the critical sense to understand that it is the living leadership of the party that must be critically evaluated as being either worthy of their vote or not.”
Political science professor Adam Habib, who is also vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, concurred: “It works to some extent, but it doesn’t necessarily work with younger people. It doesn’t work with people who are particularly angry.
“It may work for older members who have emotion- al attachments to a particular party.
“It’s not going to hurt them, but I don’t think it’s going to achieve them as much gain as they imagine. I think the idea that everybody will forget about Nkandla because of Madiba’s face on a poster is nonsensical.”
Nadvi and Habib said the tactic was more likely to work in the case of Mandela’s name than Rajbansi’s.