Cyril Ramaphosas tale: retorisk analyse

In challenging times, the presence of someone who rises to the occasion and aspires to create a brighter tomorrow is indispensable. This is precisely the necessity that South Africa’s citizens yearn for after years of racial discrimination, a period in which many individuals were neglected and treated unfairly by the system’s injustices. It becomes crucial to have a steadfast individual who envisions a more promising future, and this is precisely what the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, pursues in his speech delivered on June 16, 2021, on Youth Day, in which he acknowledges the past, while emphasizing the remarkable progress they have made, and how much more they can achieve. Throughout the speech he uses a lot of techniques to deliver the best possible speech. This essay will focus on the devices he uses to engage the audience and how he successfully employs language and rhetorical devices to convey his message.

Cyril Ramaphosa sets the tone with a powerful introduction, by framing the historical context to the importance of the day, June 16th: “On this day forty-five years ago, brave young women and men in Soweto and other parts of the country rose up against injustice.” By invoking this shared historical moment, he establishes an emotional bond with the audience, by emphasizing a common experience that unites all the South African citizens, himself included. Furthermore, he engages the audience by talking directly to them for example when he says: “Young men and women of South Africa, your country needs you!” here he attempts to appeal to the youths’ emotions, by using pathos to play on the youths’ love for the country, and he imparts a sense of significance, emphasizing that their contribution is indispensable for the well-being of the country.