What's 'Stomach Infrastructure'? Check African Politics Dictionary | Voice of America - English
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In Nigeria, for instance, the term “zoning” has nothing to do with buildings or real estate. It describes power sharing between the north and south. In Kenya, a “three-piece suit” refers to a party asking voters to back its full slate of candidates, for president, governor and member of parliament. The Oxford Dictionary of African Politics, an online publication. The term "stomach infrastructure" was coined by a politician in the 2015 elections in Nigeria. He promised people rice and chicken over development and won that election. In Benin, switching of parties by politicians is called “transhumance,” which is the act of moving animals from one grazing ground to another. In Ghana, supporting the president of one party and a member of parliament from another party is called “skirt and blouse” voting. Another Kenyan term is "negotiated democracy," which means the arranged sharing of power between communities BEFORE an election takes place. Kimani Njogu, an African linguist, said people create and use such terms everywhere, acts of what he called "semantic expansion." "It brings in a certain playfulness in our politics, certain humor, ingenuity, relaxation of atmosphere, normalization of the politics, so that it's not seen to be too removed from the day-to-day experiences of people," Njogu said. Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has seen this type of language throughout his long career. "It's not that they are being simplistic about complex issues,” Odinga said. “It's just that they want to make it light. Sometimes you should crack a joke about those issues, but I think it's a way of expression that in one hand tells you it’s not right, but also with a light touch. I think that's part of the African culture." The Oxford dictionary covers 350 words commonly used in Africa since the introduction of multiparty democracy more than three decades ago. Njogu said the dictionary would change over time, as old expressions lose their usefulness and people create new ones to comment on their politics.