Apparently, she was on the firing line when the Botswana National Front (BNF) raided the same venue the previous day and she was retaliating. Clad in a track suit pant and a party T-shirt, Nasha pulled no punches as she took a swipe at the opposition.
She charged that the opposition claim the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) have people who claim “we are not educated but we don‚t care.
“Rona ga re na sepe le gore a o rutegile, se se le teng, ke gore a ‘nxondo’ e teng,” she fired.
To emphasise her message, she would chant: “Tsholetsa Domokrag, a e jeke domi,” and get an overwhelming response from the audience. She asked whether some people in the opposition who absconded from school at play time tell the BDP about degrees. She wanted to know whether an opposition official who performed dismally in a recent TV debate in Maun was educated.
Nasha said some people have accused her of meddling in labour affairs. But she said she was not interfering since it was part of her job. “I am a representative of workers and my office is open to everyone,” she said.
Dismissing opposition accusations that the BDP was exporting raw materials to create jobs in other country, she said: “We are running a government and not a shoe factory”.
Nasha lashed out at her detractors who predicted that competition for the Gaborone Central constituency would only be between the Botswana National Front’s (BNF) candidate Dr Kathleen Letshabo and Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). “We will see who will be in hospital on Sunday,” said Nasha, who insisted that she was very much in contention for the constituency.
For those who think she is not good looking, she quipped with a ready answer. “We are not into a beauty contest but an intelligence competition.” Nasha who was shadowed by her attractive life size poster, said the opposition think her figure was nothing to write home about. “If I am facing the other way, you could see these bums,” she said teasingly. “They are saying that I am pitch black but I am proud about my colour and I can’t use creams. I am black and proud,” she said confidently.
“If you hit at me, you must be ready, otherwise we will meet in the Freedom Square. Why do they pick on me when they are campaigning instead of selling themselves,” she charged.
She wondered how Letshabo would be able to resolve the UB’s problems if she leaves the institution where she is a lecturer. “If you failed to solve problems when you were part of the system, how are you going to make it when you are outside?” she asked rhetorically.
Nasha said they are concerned by accusations made by the opposition that BDP members are involved in ritual murders. But one of the opposition members, she said, once narrated a story of how they fought for a dead hyena’s parts when they were travelling to Kasane. She said that obviously if the opposition craves hyena parts, then they could not spare human portions.
Nasha said she does not apologise for a statement she made in Parliament that the university was infiltrated by opposition activists. She read out a list of UB employees who were going to contest elections on an opposition ticket. She said if those people were BDP members, there could have been an outcry. She questioned who is teaching students when their lecturers are busy with campaigns.
Nasha said UB students are paid their allowances late because the employees are engaged in politics. “This does not show accountability.”
As she was about to conclude her speech, Nasha reminded the audience that she was on a campaign trail. “Vote for me because I have a track record. I can work with people,” she appealed.
“I will be in that Parliament until Jesus is resurrected. People claim that I am old. Older than who?” she asked.
After Nasha left the podium, the DJ tuned in one of Vee’s popular tracks. Everyone was jiving as if the results had already been announced.
The next speaker, was Pelotelele Tlhaodi, the BDP parliamentary candidate for Gaborone South. A party veteran and a Freedom Square “champion”, Tlhaodi maintained the momentum. Speaking like a preacher, Tlhaodi asked why some people are still in the BNF when there has been a mass exodus from the party.
“Wena o saletseng,” he chorused, much to the amazement of the youthful audience. After the rally, the BDP members burst into song and wild celebrations.
