Canons of classical rhetoric in Sam Nujoma's state of the nation address 1990-2004

Abstract

Abstract provided by author

The mini-dissertation examines and highlights in broad detail how Mr. Sam Nujoma used the canons of classical rhetoric in his State of the Nation Addresses during his Presidential reign in Namibia from 1990 to 2004. Mr. Nujoma's Addresses are critiqued against the five canons of classical rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style, delivery and memory. Specifically, the author focuses on the following five research questions: 1. What evidence of particular appeals or approaches are used by Mr. Nujoma? 2. How effective is the arrangement of messages or arguments in the Introduction, Purpose statement, Body and Conclusion of the addresses? 3. Is the language style clear, vivid and persuasive in the sense of it being appropriate to Mr. Nujoma, the audience and the occasion? 4. Are there vocal and other nonverbal aspects used to complement verbal messages during the delivery of the addresses? 5. Is Mr. Nujoma's retention and grasp of the contents of the addresses evident?

In an attempt to answer the research questions above, twenty eight hours of video recordings shown live on the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation and two hundred twenty pages of the Hansard of the fifteen State of the Nation Addresses delivered between 1990 and 2004 were examined.