A Comparative Analysis of Moral (De)legitimation in Tanzanian Presidential Speeches during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study examines discursive strategies of moral legitimation and delegitimation deployed in presidential speeches by John Pombe Magufuli and Samia Suluhu Hassan during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. Drawing on van Leeuwen’s (2008) framework of legitimation strategies, the analysis investigates how moral authority, rationalisation, evaluation, abstraction, and mythopoesis were linguistically mobilised to justify or contest public health measures. Four nationally broadcast speeches were purposively selected and analysed using qualitative discourse-analytic procedures. The findings demonstrate that while President Samia Suluhu Hassan predominantly employed authority, rationalisation, and moralisation to promote adherence to WHO-recommended mitigation measures and to rebuild public trust, President Magufuli utilised similar strategies to delegitimise Western interventions and legitimise locally grounded responses. Overall, the study reveals how presidential discourse functions as a strategic instrument for shaping public perceptions, articulating competing moral orders, and advancing divergent crisis-management approaches. The article concludes by underscoring the need for further systematic research on (de)legitimation practices in health-related crises.