Author:Zaynab Bolanle Raji-Ellams
Date: 20/02/2026
This study analyses the rhetorical functions embedded in five rhymes selected from the children’s animated series The Lion Guard and how they align with themes in African political discourse. The five rhymes: Sisi Ni Sawa, Jackal Style, Outta the Way, Panic and Run, and Here Comes the Lion Guard, were categorized into five rhetorical functions, unity, deception, exclusion, fear, and resistance using rhetorical theory and symbolic interactionism. This study examines the statistical significance between each rhyme and its rhetorical function using a hypothetical dataset and Pearson’s chi-square test of independence. The findings indicated a strong and non-random relationship between each rhyme and its corresponding rhetorical function (X^2(16, N = 200) = 357.80, p < .001), indicating that popular culture can mirror real-world patterns of political communication. The study reveals the potential of popular culture as a means of gaining insight into how rhetorical strategies operate within governance narratives and political symbolism.
Keywords: African Political Discourse, Rhetorical Strategies, Symbolic Interactionism, Popular Culture and Politics, Metaphorical Language in Leadership.
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