Africa-Press – Lesotho. MUCKRAKER understands that these are desperate times for our politicians. They can do anything for our votes. Power, like drugs, is addictive. But some politicians have taken this campaign to embarrassingly pathetic levels.
Last week, the young one anointed by the camel owner from Qacha was distributing cabbages to peasants in Machache. A few days ago he was dishing out makoenya in Quthing.
Note that the cabbages are not from Woolworths Food and the makoenya did not have blue cheese. Just K’habeche, Jelemuti, Hlooho ea Mokhehle. In other countries politicians open buildings and kiss babies on the campaign trail.
Here the deputy prime minister and his ilk hand out cabbages and fried balls of flour. The choice of the gifts was not random. It might not have been a meticulous choice but there was some method to it.
Makoenya and cabbage are known for being cheap. Cabbage is the relish of last resort while makoenya are a fake ‘delicacy’ of those who cannot afford better food.
Hunger, as they say, is the best chef. Don’t lie: you won’t choose makoenya over carrot cake unless your taste buds have either been blunted by hopose, have grown hairs or are wearing a balaclava.
The DC’s Yellowbone was therefore delivering both the food and the message. The message was loud and clear: eat what you can afford. Meat and bread will shock your tummies into running.
Your hands don’t deserve money. Just take the cabbage and vote. That’s what our politicians think of our people. Cheap, usable and disposable. Condoms to be won to protect them from losing power and its trappings.
There was yet another message that came with his Santa Claus act. He was saying the government had failed so dismally that the people have to be grateful for cabbages.
He might not have intended it but that is how it came out. He eats cabbage by choice. The people of Machache eat it out of necessity. And there was another message you can only fully comprehend with a little arithmetic.
The dish of makoenya probably had 100 balls. Each is one rand. Which means he bought the whole bucket for M100. Because he is not Jesus, who fed 5 000 people with five loaves and two fish, the yellowbone only managed to feed 100 people at most.
And that is if we are to be generous with the numbers. It takes at least five makoenya to fill a tummy. So what is the message? The yellowbone is a cheapskate. He fed 100 people with M100. And they say miracles don’t happen. But perish the thought if you think there will be a similar miracle in October.
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