Opponents label Muzila�s graduation a �charade� for votes
Bonte Seepi | Wednesday September 24, 2014 12:12
The candidates in the constituency are Sylvia Muzila of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Vain Mamela of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Wynter Mmolotsi of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). BMD is part of a coalition that formed the Umbrella for Democratic Change (BMD) with Botswana National Front and Botswana People’s Party (BPP). The owner of Tabitha, Muzila confirmed sponsoring over 300 youth mainly from the constituency, for a three-day occupational health and safety course at a hefty amount of P2,000 per person, according to the consultants engaged for the job. The graduation ceremony was held last Friday at Tabitha where the BDP slogan “Ae jeke Domi!”, reverberated throughout the proceedings. Guest of honour, Francistown mayor, James Kgalajwe touted Muzila as the best thing that ever happened to the constituency.
When addressing graduates, he reminded them about “your contract with Muzila” and that they should not compare her with “other people who can only offer oranges to the voters. “Muzila has done a very big job that has never been done by anyone. Therefore you have to see that you need her in your future lives. Even the president of this country needs such people like her. Go tell your parents that you need Muzila. You shouldn’t compare her with other people who give you oranges from there they will insult the president. Carefully consider yourselves. This woman can still work for you. You are old enough to be clever. This is the contract that you signed with Muzila,” said Kgalajwe. Apparently, it was payback time as recently there were rumours that Mmolotsi transported oranges in his car and distributed them to his constituents.
On being contacted, Mmolotsi said that he did not regard the last Friday occasion as a graduation but a charade.
He said according to him, Muzila was simply marketing her business by using desperate young people. “Muzila was just trying to market her courses. This was a way of making people aware of the courses she will be offering soon in her academy.
“Unfortunately she used desperate youth to market herself. What difference can be made by three-day course certificates which don’t even have examination accreditation?” asked Mmolotsi.
He further said that Muzila’s sponsorship was just a campaign strategy, but that she (Muzila) was being heartless when she used desperate young people to campaign and grow her business. For his part, Mamela said that he did not know about the graduation. He said he only heard about it after it already took place. He condemned Muzila for using the youth as a campaign strategy.
“There are many graduates from tertiary institutions like Limkokwing University, ABM University College and others who are roaming the streets jobless though they are holding certificates. Where has she been all along? Why did she choose to sponsor students a month before the general elections? I don’t even see the reason why she sponsored students for the ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ course because this is a course that is needed by people who are already working,” said Mamela.
Meanwhile Muzila did not take criticism from Mmolotsi and Mamela lying down.
She said in actual fact, it was not her first time she sponsored students and that the sponsorship had nothing to do with campaigning. “It is not the first time I sponsored students. In 2010 and 2011 I sponsored the 30 orphans Doing Form 2, Form 4 and Form 5. I could not sponsor other students in 2012 because I was still recovering financially. It is not easy to do such job like sponsoring students because it is expensive,” said Muzila.
Though Muzila refuted hearing graduates shouting ‘Ae Jeke”, she said she saw nothing wrong with that. “You will have to understand that this is a private institution not a government property. Graduates were free to shout any slogan they wanted it didn’t,” she said.
Red, black and white were the theme colours for the graduation as not only was the linen in the marquee in those colours. About 90 percent of the graduates had turned out in those colours. Another thing, graduates were dropped off at the venue by BDP campaign vehicles as well as Muzila’s van which also had a BDP slogan ‘okare tshepha’, and its sub-heading: ‘there is still no alternative’.
What was surprising was that among cars, which passed near the school, there was one truck with three men at the back who all shouted ‘Domkrag’ when their truck passed by.