Graveyard videos and curry promises: politics takes a comic turn

Graveyard videos and curry promises: politics takes a comic turn. The Post NewsGraveyard videos and curry promises: politics takes a comic turnLocal Government ElectionsRachel Vadi|Updated 12 minutes agoAsk AI 4minSpending time impersonating the late Amichand Rajbans has paid off for voice-over artist Ashen Singh.

What happened

Political parties are using reels, food promises and comic videos to reach South Africa’s social-media electorate ahead of the 4 November 2026 local government elections. He brought that creativity from his schooling days into politics. In a video, Vanitha is seen with a pot of fish curry, promising to cook the dish for those who support her husband, Raymond Methraj Sakloo, in his election campaign. “If you vote for this party, I will cook fish curry for you.

Vanitha Sakloo has promised voters that she will cook fish curry instead of breyani if they vote for her husband's party. If Rajbansi could do it and it worked so well for him, we thought it would be good to provide an alternative in a fish curry,” said Raymond. Sometimes it works; sometimes you get criticism. ” While humour may intersect with politics, conveying an important message to an electorate lost in the seriousness of power outages, water droughts, and other service delivery issues, one would have to wait and see whether the popularity of these social media posts translates into votes come November. post. co. zaAsk AIWednesday, September 16, 2026NewsCrime and CourtsSouth AfricaAfricaWorldBRICSEducationEnergyEnvironmentFeel GoodGovernment at WorkOpinionPoliticsOpinionOpinionNewsPoliticsEntertainmentLifestyleTechSportBusinessJobsEconomyPropertyWindow on ChinaHybrid WorkingEntertainmentCelebrity NewsStreamingMoviesMusicBooksWhats OnJoburgDurbanCape TownPretoriaOpinionLifestyleHealthBeautyFashionFoodRelationshipsParentingCompetitionsOpinionTravelLocalInternationalTechSoftware and InternetEsportsOpinionSportSoccerPSLRugbyCricketMMABettingOpinionHorse RacingMotoringReviewsLaunchesIndustry NewsMotorsport

The wider picture

The Minority Front (MF), National Dialogue Front (NDF) and Democratic Alliance (DA), are leveraging humour to connect with a digitally savvy electorate. Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, leader of the MF, has taken a step in this comedic evolution. She recently shared a reel on social media featuring voice-over artist Ashen Singh, who impersonated her late husband, Amichand Rajbansi. Singh, an MC and comedian, references Rajbansi's signature dish, breyani, which he famously distributed during his campaigns to foster community ties.

Thakur-Rajbansi said that embracing humour was not merely a nostalgic homage; it reflected the "changing times" of modern campaigning. “No longer can one use the old method of face-to-face campaigning with the electorate. Thirty years ago, we had door-to-door campaigning, and we could count on the electorate listening to us give lengthy speeches at town halls. “The young people, who are part of the party these days, have advised me that I must embrace quick reels that capture the attention of the person watching on their phones or tablets. ”She said Facebook was a platform that the late party leader had just begun to use before he died in 2011, and they wanted to continue with the humour and antics he was famous for.

What has been reported

“From his childhood, Mr Rajbansi took part in school plays, participated in school debates and was good at art. “Mr Rajbansi was a grassroots politician, and he needed to find a way of getting people together and putting a serious message in a simpler way and in a language and style that people enjoyed and understood. ” She believed that drawing laughter served to comfort constituents, enabling them to view leaders as relatable figures in a challenging landscape.

"Our democracy does not have to be a joyless space; we can modernise how we campaign. ” Singh said he had been imitating Rajbansi for several years. It was good to bring back an iconic Chatsworth politician,” said Singh. While Rajbansi favoured breyani, Vanitha Sakloo, an executive member of the NDF, introduced an unconventional incentive for voters. "Party leader Raymond said community feeding schemes had been part of their (the couple’s) community work, and it was an easy transition to continue as part of their campaigning.

Image: Facebook screengrab “The video was meant to be light-hearted, taking a dig at the infamous Rajbansi breyani tactic. “My wife cooked as usual, and she came up with a fun marketing idea, so we decided to go with it.

What happens next

It was meant to be a passing joke, and we ended up having good reactions to the video, which went viral on social media. People looked at it in a positive light. ” Despite the buzz, Raymond said their identity as a party extended beyond culinary gimmicks. He said that, at the end of the day, the electorate would mark their ‘x’ based on a party’s track record. Method actor, Bruce Gounder had to remove his video filmed at a cemetery following harsh criticism.

Image: Facebook screengarbIn a contrasting yet equally audacious attempt at humour, Bruce Gounder, the DA’s Ward 13, Ugu North candidate, posted a video rising from a grave. The method actor, known for his movie character Bush Knife Bobby, filmed the video at a cemetery in Scottburgh, for which he said he received permission. Titled “The Resurrection of Bush Knife Bobby," the video started with Gounder lying motionless on a grave before sitting upright.