Tensions brew over polka rewards
Zolani Kraai | Thursday June 8, 2017 18:00
Sophie Vissagie told Showbiz that, it is untrue that she refused to hand over the monies given to her son to the school. Vissagie’s response comes amid the brewing tension between the school management and Ali’s mother over how the money was supposed to be utilised by both the school group and Ali as an individual.
The calm Vissagie said on Friday night at the cultural festival her son displayed an amazing performance with his keyboard skills that saw many dignitaries among them President Ian Khama and his deputy Mokgweetsi Masisi appreciating his performance with money.
“The school management definitely has issues with me and I wonder if they really know how my son got to learn how to play the keyboard. I supported my son and engaged someone to teach him the keyboard, as he was so passionate about the hobby. So the school is clueless about the whole matter and I must say the money belonged to him not the whole group,” Vissagie said.
She said she was at one stage shocked by the headteacher of the school who accused her of refusing to handover her son’s money to the school.
She bluntly told Showbiz that it is a norm that whenever there is a polka event; rewards put inside the pockets of the keyboardists would belong solely to the player, while the rest of money put on the stage goes to the rest of the group.
“I am not surprised the school management is pulling a stunt against me and my son,” Vissagie said, denying speculations that she and her boyfriend used their son’s money on a drinking spree.
Speculation has been rife that Vissagie refused to hand over her sons’ reward to the school to be shared amongst the polka group.
Vissagie further said her son received an amount of P958 as rewards, for his eight minutes performance on Friday.
“That was only for Friday night and on Saturday he received P1,380 which they shared between him and another skillful keyboardist Ipopeng ‘Two perekies’ Bapalang of Traapvas Group from Khuis.
Vissagie also shared that she was confronted by the schoolhead Pandor, whom she says accused her of refusing to hand over her son’s money.
“I told the head teacher that I don’t even know where the other money went to as I only received P700 from the P900 that was due.
I however got instructions from my son, who is very brilliant, to buy him things that he need most, some been school utensils,” Vissagie shared.
Vissagie further shared that on the money her son accumulated from his performance on Saturday, he bought shoes and electricity bulb to use when revising during exams. “My son asked me to pay P50 for his school tour, P30 for his term development fees, including his sisters, and I must say the rest of the money went to school, and that’s where the teachers must reveal how my son’s money was used. I think they are just anxious and they don’t know how to attack me,” Vissagie said.
For his part, the village chief Piet Manyoro said he saw nothing wrong with Vissagie’s son receiving the rewards for his performance unless it was thrown on the stage or ground for the group to share. “The money was put in his pockets and it belonged to him. As a mother she did nothing wrong and it was her right to take the money and spend it wisely on his son’s needs, and so she did exactly that,” Manyoro said.
“Ali is special to me and I will only allow him to perform once he reaches junior school. The school has its own internal issues to address and they shouldn’t use me and my son as their medium,” Vissagie said.
On the allegations that, the private secretary to the president, Tsaone Nkarabang gave her the go ahead to take the money for her son, Vissagie denied that. But she said she was going to seek guidance from him on whether it is normal for the school to take the rewards for his son and be shared by the rest of the school. Nkarabang said equilibrium could be established on the basis of motivating other group members but fairly the money belonged to Ali for his individual performance.
“However, if the school has a protocol in this regard, the boy’s parents could be addressed well in advance about the arrangement to avoid miscommunication, but there is clearly nothing wrong if one is given rewards for his sterling performance,” Nkarabang shared.
Efforts to get the schoolhead response could not bear fruits as she said she cannot talk to the media.