The power of song, dance in electioneering
Monday, July 24, 2023 | 440 Views |
Normally, party songs are tailor-made with the party president in mind
PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
Thaga uses songs to win public attention and generally appeals to a large number of people as music and politics are often interconnected. It is common that politicians and singers craft pertinent lyrics to drive home their targeted political messaging through song and dance. Whatever messaging they want can be summed up through certain songs to enunciate some patterns of thoughts and moods about politics.
Thaga could not agree more when he recently led his party, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) into a massive campaign song in Serowe on July 7, 2023 on the eve of the Serowe-West by-election, which his party won. The star rally was held at the Morning Star grounds in the village.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...