Thesis Hum 2009 Rahman Z.Pdf

The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University THABO MBEKI: STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESSES AN ANALYSIS OF HIS RHETORICAL TECHNIQUE. Zarina Rahman RHMZAR001 A minor dissertation submitted in partial fullfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of MA (Political Communication by coursework and minor dissertation) Town Minor Dissertation in Rhetoric CapeStudies FAM 5031 W Supervisor: Distinguishedof Professor Ph-J Salazar Faculty of Humanities UniversityUniversity of Cape Town 2009 COMPULSORY DECLARATION This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It is my own work. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this dissertation from the work, or works, of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. Signature: _______________Date: ~3 ~MAAt{y 6Jooq G:\ hu\formslm-title-oaae TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Acknowledgn1ents .................. " ...................................... " ....... , . .. i 2. Abstract. ..................................................................................... .ii 3. Thabo Mbeki ................................................................................. 1 4. Context and Parameters of Speeches ..................................................... .4 5. Legislative Parameters ...................................................................... 6 6. Branches of Rhetoric and Appeals ................................................. , ....... 9 7. Audience .....................................................................................Town 10 8. 25JuneI999 ................................................................................ 12 9. 14 February 2003 ........................................................................... 30 10. 3 February 2006 ............................................................................Cape 49 11. 8 February 2008 ............................................................................of 64 12. Conclusion .................................................................................. 79 13. Bibliography ................................................................................ 87 14. Appendix A 15. Appendix B University 16. Appendix C 17. Appendix D 18. Appendix E 19. Appendix F ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Having completed my degree while working full-time for the Minister of Finance, it is important that I recognise the assistance that I received that allowed me to complete the task. I \vould like to thank the staff at the South African Library in Cape Town for their patience and assistance when providing me with volumes of archived newspapers. I would like to acknowledge the professional manner in which the staff at the Library of Parliament division assisted to provide me with copies of Hansard free of charge despite the fact that it \vas for my private use. The same is true for the staff of Parliament's Hansard division who provided me with the electronic versions Hansard that tad not been published on the website yet. In particular. I want to acknowledgeTown the assistance of Ms Debbie Billy in this regard. I want to thank my colleagues for working around my four week study break that finally allowed me to make some actual progress. The UCT Libraries Research Commons provided a quiet space to be able to complete the Capebulk of the writing. The staff must be commended for ensuring that it is well run andof for their willingness to assist. I must acknowledge the support of my husband and children who gave me the time and space to be able to complete the dissertation. They may regret that I now have more time available. Most importantly. I want to acknowledge the support and encouragement that my supervisor, Distinguished Professor Ph-J Salazar provided throughout the process. He accommodated my \vorkUniversity schedule and even when I was ready to give up. without being aware of it he managed to keep me on track and focussed. 11 Thabo Mbeki: State of the Nation Addresses - An Analysis of his Rhetorical Technique. Zarina Rahman Abstract The dissertation analyses the rhetorical style of Thabo Mbeki with the aim of evaluating whether his oratory was effective enough to convince his audience to support him. It does this by analysing four of the eleven annual addresses that he delivered at the occasion of the Opening of Parliament during his period in office. Mbeki held the position of President of South Africa from June 1999 to September 2008. The speeches that were chosen for analysis from this period are 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2008.Town The motivation for these choices is related to critical periods during the Mbeki presidency. Before analysing the speeches, the paper examines the context in detail by briefly outlining Mbeki's political and personal backgroundCape in order to understand his identity in relation to his rhetoric. The current form of annualof address at the opening of Parliament is placed in its historical context It also places the type of speech in context in terms of parliamentary rules and the South African Constitution and does a brief comparisoll with similar addresses in the United States of America and Britain .. A key aspect of the dissertationUniversity is to attempt 10 identify hO\v he possibly failed to gain the support his audience by missing the opportunities that his annual address to Parliament presented. In order to identity the disjuncture between the style and content of the oration and the audience. the dissertation examines the understanding of audience and speculates about the real and perceived audiences in the case ofMbeki's annual addresses. 1ll The annual address to Parliament provided Mbeki with an opportunity to speak to the nation. directly through the various forms of media as well as through the members of Parliament that were present at the addresses. The dissertation concludes that, on the basis of the in-depth rhetorical analyses of the speeches and the perception of the audience. Mbeki's form of oration resulted in him appearing distant and aloof to his audience. Mbeki used Eurocentric language and metaphors that the audience was not able to identify with thereby failing to unite the audience in support for him. He failed to use presidential rhetoric to his advantage in his speeches in Parliament but further failed to bolster the rhetorical presidency by not establishing his ethos with the people whose support he depended on in order to secure his position in office. TownBy maintaining a strong adherence to the British notion of a president-in-parliamenL he remained aloof and wasted the opportunity that the office of the President provided. While his policies may have been sound. he was not able to convince his audienceCape of this causing him ultimately to fail. of University This dissertation addresses the rhetoric of Thabo Mbeki. the second president of the democratic South Africa. and looks specifically at his annual addresses to Parliament on the occasions of the opening Parliament. It examines his unique rhetorical style and whether it is effective in terms of the context and audience that he is addressing. Based on the analyses on the speeches. it attempts to draw conclusions about his rhetorical style and format and how this has influenced the presidency during his term of office. Thabo Mbeki It would be important to understand. very briefly. who Thabo Mbeki is before examining his speeches in order to place the person in context. Thabo Mbeki was the President of South Africa from 1999 to 2008 and of the African National Congress from 1997 to 2007. Prior to becoming the President of the country. he served as Deputy President in the first democratic Government of South Africa under theTown presidency of Nelson Mandela. He held the position of Deputy President jointly with F v,' de Klerk from 1994 to 1996 and then on his own until Mandela vacated the position in 1999. At the time there was little question about the fact that he would succeed Mandela and it is apparent that Mbeki historically held key positions in his partyCape in order to be placed second to the iconic Nelson Mandela. It must be notedof that while it was clear that Mbeki would succeed Mandela in 1999. there had been some debate within the ANC prior to his appointment as deputy President in 1994. Some members of the party preferred Cyril Ramaphosa. a former trade union leader and activist and one of the chief negotiators in the process that ended apartheid I. How Mbeki came Universityto ascend to this high position in the party and what shaped him politically and personally. are topics too extensive to be covered in detail in this dissertation. It is. however. important to note some of the factors that propelled him into influential positions within the ANC and the country and what factors shaped his image. Mbeki is one of four children of Govan and Epainette Mbeki. both of whom were part of the Eastern Cape elite. His primary political influence can be traced to his father who was an African Marxist. a member of the ANC. a founding member of Umkonto Isizwe 1 po-p. Gumede. W M. (2005) Thabo Mbeki and the battle for the soul of the ANC. 2 , (MK). the military division of the ANC and a prIsoner on

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