The term slogan, as used in politics, is claimed to derive from the (Gaelic) Scottish term as Slaughhairm or slogome, which means battle cry or war cry. The term slogan was first used in English in 1589, Stanley. E, (2024).

Voters’ behaviour has an impact on both the election method and outcome. As a result, voters’ and electorates’ behaviour before, during and after elections vary per country and political party, depending on their socio-economic and political characteristics. 

The most interesting questions to ask about an election are not who won, but why specific people voted the way they did, and what the repercussions of the outcome would be. A thorough explanation must combine the unique characteristics of the election with a larger understanding of electoral behaviour. More to these sentiments, Linyanti, Sibbinda, Kongola and Judea Lyaboloma constituencies in the Zambezi region can be likened to it.

However, to guarantee the success of any democratic system, political parties and leaders must offer the public accurate information about their party’s policies, as well as a clear vision and political objectives. 

This will allow voters to make informed decisions/judgments on whom to vote or support. In this sense, political campaign slogans have remained critical to voter’s awareness and education. Political campaigns have grown into contests in which selecting a candidate demands the deployment of very inventive and creative communication and political marketing methods. 

Today’s politics is still centred on slogans, as it has evolved into essential weapons for politicians seeking power to persuade the public to support them. Slogans have been used as a political tool since antiquity.  Slogans are or should be viewed as an enduring, unbreakable phenomenon that is regarded as unrivalled voices of their period.  Slogans can encourage people to act or raise awareness. One may see the emergence of political and campaign slogans, as well as their societal implications. 

According to Stanley (2024), individuals are more inclined to trust a candidate whose campaign language demonstrates a strong sense of integrity, and a desire to better their lives. To put it another way, politicians who highlight their accomplishments in political advertisements are more likely to lose people’s trust than those who promise to meet their fundamental requirements.

Moreover, as it should be, and only if electorates were to analyse, investigate and interpret what slogan should mean, then all shall fall in place. 

A descriptive slogan should be anchored as a motto that is repeated to represent a concept or purpose in a political setting to influence the public or a specific target audience. Slogans in a real sense should convey the ideals of a candidate or a party during an election. Moreso, slogans should condense a political party candidate’s goals, vision and principles into a single phrase rather than what voters are experiencing after casting their votes. 

As Namibians are gearing towards election, political slogans may evoke memories, relationships, and emotions but voters need to make mention and ask the relevancy of those slogans in today’s political arena regarding their economic benefits and needs.  

As more people will ask, political sloganeering has undoubtedly dominated global politics for centuries, impacting the success or failure of elections in numerous countries throughout the world.  Slogans have been used by several politicians in political campaigns throughout the world over the years; do they still possess the same meanings or values?  What seems to be taking centre stage in Namibia and other parts of the world is that the more you chant/ sloganeer the more the reward comes your way, though someone does not even understand the meaning of those slogans. In reality, campaign slogans are an integral part of election campaigns, but should not be blindly followed in today’s politics. 

Therefore, by analysing political slogans, voters should regard political slogans as strategies for imprinting one’s political philosophy in the conscious and unconscious minds of the people while simultaneously undermining the opposition’s narrative.  

Political slogans in most cases comprise strong propaganda and language that politicians use to urge the public to vote for them and their parties by portraying themselves as the only competent and trustworthy candidate for the post. 

Moreover, it is then crucial to realise that memorable slogans should be rather founded on credibility, passion and explanation. 

Political slogans should operate in political campaigns in several ways, including making appeals. Electorates should ask more of what was appealed back then, and make an informed choice come November. 

It will be quite interesting to highlight the following slogans of the world as we anticipate more of our own in Namibia. 

Nelson Mandela’s “Amandla-Awethu’’, Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can’’ 2008, Hakainde Hichilema’s “Bally Will Fix It’’. Back home in Namibia, PDM, Swapo, IPC, NDP, RDP, LPM, UDF and AR, do your slogans still stand the ground or voters are blindly following? Is it loyalty or lack of interpretation and analysis? Is it promises that keep sinking into the medulla oblongata ignorantly, or voters are purposefully losing a deep sense of reflection?

Finally, slogans might help to create memorable terms that are still in use today. A memorable slogan is essential for every successful political campaign. It may be used to efficiently communicate the party’s views and aims to voters, or as a powerful branding tool. It is believed political campaign slogans that convey a captivating message might help elect a politician who has an appealing and marketable programme.  Therefore, some advice to most Namibian political parties is that political parties should create slogans that inform or encourage voters to vote for trustworthy candidates, rather than misleading them with enticing, provocative speeches. 

What is more evident in Namibian politics is that many campaigners make the mistake of developing a political slogan without first assessing the campaign’s overall story. 

Confusion between the campaign message and the slogan is a common error made while creating slogans.  Though the two concepts may appear to be identical at first glance, they should serve separate functions in a political campaign plan. Of course, slogans leave a lasting effect on the audience. Namibians, your takeaway assignment for November, should be to consider remarkable slogans that are memorable and convincing, built on credibility, passion and reasoning. Slogans that serve as effective branding tools, informing people about the party’s principles and aim.

*Sibuku Malumbano hails from Sibbinda constituency, Zambezi region.