Speaking to the Masses: The Impact of Simplified Political Messages on Voter Behaviour

Unpacking the Psychology Behind Simple Political Slogans and Their Influence on Election Outcomes

For far too long, we have had a disconnect between politics, the discussion around politics, and the actual implementation and practice of politicians in South Africa. Overt talks about policy and criteria to fulfill certain systems have not led to direct votes for many opposition parties. Regardless of how poorly we felt the ANC had governed and continues to govern, they’ve been able to capture the emotions and minds of millions of South Africans because they realized early on that if it is simple, it wins.

In 2008, the ANC was split between two camps. There was a Mbeki camp, which prioritized policy, academics, and intellect to govern. With the introduction of B.E.E and the growing economy at the time, there was a feeling of growth and hope. However, due to a mismanagement of the AIDS epidemic and the misinformation surrounding it, there was a growing need to find more relatable and charismatic politicians who truly embodied the people. This led to the rise of Jacob Zuma and the introduction of the Zuma years. Many people still regard Zuma as one of our most relatable presidents because he truly spoke to the people. Similarly, just six years later, we saw the rise of the EFF. Both these parties uniquely keep it simple and digestible and continue to hold on to their voter bases, independent of how they act or govern as individuals.

The ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing of the NHI bill has been seen by many as politicking, as it promises another free service provided by the government. However, we are well aware of the inefficiencies of government and potential problems. Beyond the capabilities of the ANC, there are already various court cases being placed against the bill, which means it is very unlikely that we will see it come to fruition in the short term (the next election cycle). But the majority of the public is unaware of the opposition to the bill and has only viewed the bill and the benefits they will receive. It is important to remember that the majority of people going into the elections vote based on what knowledge they have about a political party, which tends to be informed by the media, and we lack engagement with the manifesto.

Currently, viewing the ANC’s actions over the past two months, there has been a limitation of scandals, the impeachment of the speaker in parliament, no load shedding for the last 49 days, and the signing of the NHI bill. There is a growing necessity to be aware of the positives that are not getting PR through traditional media, which to most South Africans makes it seem like the ANC can be a competent party and is still deserving of their vote. This has been true for many years. Regardless of the failure of the previous president, they are always willing to believe the next president will do better. However, this has not deterred individuals from voting for the ANC because, despite being on a constant decline, corruption, poor management, and unqualified officials have plagued our country for years. Yet it has taken 30 years to try and fix the government and may even extend to 35 years if they remain in the majority based on the political campaign they have strategically designed to organize.

In comparison to the ANC, the DA continues to try and dismantle much of the ANC’s policy and the security it provides for the people. They continue to advocate against social systems meant to protect and uplift the majority. Moreover, the EFF takes a more socialist stance, which many people are aware of due to the risk of complete state governance. They are also aware of the multiple countries that have continued to fail due to a lack of balance between social and economic issues in South Africa. This is where the ANC continues to find people speaking to them because they continue to prioritize the people and provide social security, trying to address the inequalities in the private sector. This is mainly due to the ANC’s legacy of advocating for human rights and social equality.

Over the years, they have found different pain points and campaign points to maintain their voter base. Initially, post-94, their legacy of many struggle heroes and their outright support for the ANC mobilized people to get to the polls. In 2008-2009, the ANC brought in Jacob Zuma to attract a new voter base as their voter base began to shrink. In 2019, we voted for a president who we thought would stabilize the country. Now, the ANC simply asks to be given an opportunity to fix up but also seems to be taking a backseat in campaigning. They’ve continued to try to improve the functionality of South Africa over the past few months. They continue to find a way to speak to the country and be considerate to many South Africans, as people would rather trust the devil they know than the one they don’t. But in reality, it has been their ability to make politics digestible.

Similarly, both the EFF and the new emerging party, Patriotic Alliance, led by Gayton McKenzie, have begun to use populist rhetoric to garner support. They continue to speak to many South Africans who feel undervalued by the ANC and the current governing system. The EFF’s large youth voter base directly depicts the youth feeling undervalued and not heard by the government. Similarly, Gayton McKenzie represents a new light for the colored community, which has been neglected by the DA government in the Western Cape. Both these parties have the potential to sway our democracy in the instance a coalition government is required to get to 50+1. However, much of their growth has happened in the past few years, and both were established just over 10 years ago.

There is reason to believe that much of politics will become about creating strong personalities that people can fully buy into. Of course, there are benefits and fears to politics trending into this space. Populist politics that use short-spoken, emotive words and scapegoats have the ability to divide the country, as we see globally. For instance, in the US, with the rise of Donald Trump and more extremist Republicans aligning with him because he speaks solely to their issues, which at times can be converted to liberal and progressive beliefs. Similarly, in South Africa, the fear of being a fully socialist state continues to linger and becomes more of a consideration as more politicians rely on populism to garner support.

Thus, I think it is important that we engage with politics with a full scope, understanding how political actions and decisions are likely to be received and likely to sway people's votes. Moreover, maybe this is all showing a shift in how politics is engaged with and portrayed in South Africa. Even smaller parties rely on simple, easy sound bites that can be remembered and shared all over social media. Build One South Africa’s “A Job in every home” and Rise Mzansi’s “2024 is our 94” continue to show a shift to very short, impactful sentences that capture audiences, a tactic the ANC has used for many years.

So, going into the elections and discussing politics, remember to separate how people perceive various policies on the ground versus how those policies are written and implemented because the latter tends to be where minorities engage with politics due to the insufficiency of the government to provide adequate education for people to read for understanding.

Remember, in the conversations that you have over the next few weeks and months as we grapple with the post-election South Africa, we need to remember that we do not engage in politics the same way, we are not the same, but we must learn to understand each other's viewpoints and various life experiences.

South Africa, even though the path to change and the future seems very far, it is important to keep the optimism and, importantly, continue to educate each other as we walk into these elections. This is our collective country and doesn’t only belong to the ruling party.