A Critical Discourse Analysis of Equality and Resistance in Seretse Khama’s Kgotla Speech in the Movie A United Kingdom (2016) Using Van Dijk’s Socio-Cognitive Framework

Abstract

Political speeches are powerful tools for shaping social ideologies, constructing leadership identities, and challenging oppressive systems. This study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), guided by van Dijk’s socio-cognitive framework, to examine Seretse Khama’s Kgotla speech as portrayed in the film A United Kingdom (2016). The analysis explores how the speech constructs discourses of equality, resistance, and moral leadership across textual, cognitive, and social dimensions. At the textual level, Khama’s strategic use of metaphors, parallelism, rhetorical questions, repetition, and emotional appeals frames segregation as morally and socially unacceptable while emphasizing equality as a universal ethical principle. At the cognitive level, these linguistic strategies shape audience mental representations, foster empathy, and encourage critical reflection on the ethical implications of racial discrimination. At the social level, the speech situates its arguments within the historical and political realities of colonial Bechuanaland, challenging entrenched power structures and legitimizing Khama’s leadership based on moral and ethical principles. The findings demonstrate that the speech operates simultaneously across multiple levels, using rhetoric to mobilize social consciousness, construct ideological meaning, and promote collective ethical responsibility. This study highlights the enduring importance of language in political discourse and the value of CDA as a framework for analyzing how leaders communicate resistance, equality, and moral authority.