Expect a low voter turnout

I once overheard a funny conversation between my daughter and her five-year-old cousin, Phumla, a couple of months ago. We were driving to Pioneer Mall one Sunday morning to buy a few grocery items for Sunday lunch. So, as we were driving along Pioneer Road, a squeaky voice came from the back seat of the car and said, “My father’s car has a swimming pool.” My daughter replied back and said, “Wow, do you swim in the car on the way to school?” and the little girl said; “Yes! It also has an ice cream machine.” I laughed out loud and said, Phumieee! Hahahaha! You see, those are some of the crazy things we are yet to hear in the coming election season. Unrealistic and baseless hallucinations. But allow me to share one funny story about my good friend Mr Jason Mojau. Mojau is our Herbalife Coach and runs a health club. Banna, I miss my friends. In any case, he once told me one of those stories that just stick in the head for years. He said, at a time when he used to live in Johannesburg, he would catch a bus from work in the Johannesburg CBD to his house. There was this particular day he joined the Herbalife movement and pinned a badge on his chest written, “Lose weight now, ask me how?” The funny thing about the story is that it was the very first time he had a badge on the chest and totally forgot about it. After a long and tiring day at work, he boarded a double-deck, jumped onto the second deck of the bus and dosed off. During his nap, he heard a deep Nigerian voice saying, “How?” The voice was so persistent, “How?” Mojau was so fed-up and woke up, to attend to this irritating ‘How’ question. In his mind he thought, esekaba motho enoa oa hlanya (maybe this person is crazy). Then Mojau asked the Nigerian man, “Hey, what are you saying?” (In a deep Sesothofied accent). The Nigerian man answered in a deep Nigerian accent, “Ah! You say; lose weight now, ask me how? So, I’m asking you ‘How’? Mojau quickly looked at his chest and saw the Herbalife badge that he had placed without even reading what was written on it. But I like the ‘How’ part of the question. Of which we need to ask our politicians when they are busy promising jobs and roads in the sky (a swimming pool in my father’s car). How? Give us the nuts and bolts of how you are going to do it. How! Jokes aside, here is the main concern; our people have lost faith in our politicians and political system at large. Our people are tired. As a result of this, most people have vowed to stay away from the polls. They have vowed to ‘Ghost the elections’ and I am one of them. But seriously, who deserves our votes in this situation? In my view, no one is eligible for my precious vote. Our politicians have played with the hopes and dreams of the electorate. They have also taken the electorate for granted and treated it like a bunch of monkeys. Absolutely no respect and accountability to the electorate. Look at the promise that the leader of the Alliance of Democrats (AD) made to relinquish power and give way for a young leader to emerge in his own constituency. Deep down, I knew that he wouldn’t leave and indeed, the leader of the AD is back in the driver’s seat saying, “Nna ha ke so re kea tsamaea” (I did not say I’m leaving). I mean, these are the type of things that discourage voters from participating in elections. They create a trust deficit. Polotiki tsa maselamose! We have all seen pretty much every politician and political party since the advent of coalition politics in 2012. Almost everyone has had a piece of the action and almost every politician has demonstrated his/her strengths and weaknesses. But almost all the politicians have been quite mediocre to say the least. They’ve revealed their true colours. However, the biggest flop of all time must be the ABC. It got the nation fooled big time. Ke e mong oa mahlatsipa (I am one of the victims). Where do I even start? You know, I don’t think the ABC politicians currently contesting for the leadership of the ABC realise the level of animosity that harbours in people’s hearts towards the party. More-so, after the wool and mohair theft. They cannot comprehend the level of disappointment they made to the nation. In my view, contesting for leadership of the ABC is quite useless. I mean, it’s like fighting for a girl that was ‘once’ hot in the village as you were boys (majita) growing up. But now this girl is back in the village from Jo’burg le Pitori and is as worn-out as the ABC itself (I really don’t know what other example or comparison to give). Meno a felile. But here you are, as guys, fighting for this girl once again yet she comes back home running on four flat tyres (o panchile). This is exactly what contesting for the ABC leadership is like. The party is finished but you are still fighting for the top position. But I must say, Dr Majoro has really disappointed me. Unless there’s something I’m missing here. Look, you have qualified for benefits (pension) but you still want more. Why? Why don’t you go home and leave this riff-raff? It’s not worth it. Just go home! The other thing is that the ABC is going to lose big-time in the coming elections. Why do you want to bear the burden of shouldering the blame? As I say, maybe there’s something I fail to understand. Haai! Then there is Mathibeli Mokhothu. Yes, it would be refreshing to have a Prime Minister that is 45-years-old but I must say, Mokhothu’s ideas of creating jobs are rather pedestrian. I remember watching the news on LTV and Mokhothu was shown handing over learners driver’s licences to beauty queens (I guess miss DC contestants), as a form of creating jobs. Look, he was flanked by the likes of Ntate Qoo. So, Mokhothu said he’s handing over the learner’s driving licences to enable the beauty queens to possibly work as drivers in various government ministries or even be drivers of some of the ministers. And that’s Mokhothu’s grand idea of creating sustainable jobs. I was also quite disappointed when he handed over shacks to street vendors in Lithabaneng and one incident, he handed ‘hard cash’ to street vendors as a form of supporting micro-enterprises. No guys, not for a person of a stature of a Deputy Prime Minister. He should be debating on macro-economic strategies and policies to address unemployment crises. Talking about macro-economics, not even the Basotho Action Party (BAP) has a comprehensive plan (the how) on how to rescue or revive the economy. Most of the people that I’ve talked to, said they fear voting BAP in power because we (as a nation) are going to spend the next five years in courts and litigation, ho qosoa enoa, ho qosao eane. E le khang tse sa eng moriting (prosecuting this one and that one endlessly). I concur, I’m not sold on the BAP. I don’t feel it. It does not have ‘that thang’. Yes, it could make a dent but I don’t see it being impactful economically. As I’ve asked, what’s your Unique Selling Proposition as the BAP? Law and Order? Tell us about the ‘How of creating jobs’ then we’ll vote for you. How! The real surprise might come from the new kids on the block. Bo-Mk’hondo, SR and ‘M’e ‘Malichaba. Yes, they are small but they may disrupt the status-quo (and spoil the party for Mokhothu). They may end up being the real game changers and king makers in the next coalition government. In closing, one of the biggest upsets has been Mochoboroane from the MEC. He’s been so luke-warm. O fofo. Just like the Basotho National Party (BNP). The BNP is still riding on the wave of Chief Leabua’s legacy. It really offers nothing new. It’s the same old Mantšatlala and Lecorp Housing Scheme. It’s 2022 guys. Get on with the programme. Machere Seutloali!!! However, all in all, we are just tired of lies, broken promises and corruption. Maybe I should form a political party and vote for it. Would you join in?