Crossroads

| Tuesday May 14, 2013 00:00

This morning I scurried across radio stations checking up on the latest on the budget speech. Lucky I'd say now, got to stumble upon Kealeboga Dihutso at Duma fm. On the other side was MELS President Themba Joina. I have interviewed him before and I have heard people's thoughts of him.

In most instances, he is seen as a guy who is not to be taken seriously: 'oa bo a reng Joina', 'yoo o tshwana le Themba Joina hela' are popular refrains in our society.  My final conclusion today is this: such popular refrains are merely out of ignorance, and perhaps, less intelligence from those who see Joina as a joke.

Of the many conversations we have had over the budget speech, very few people have been able to offer a comprehensive and feasible alternative. Listening to Themba Joina unpack the budget speech and his plans on education and employment I could not help but admire him.  For starters, Joina spoke of education in a manner that would bridge the gap between it and the industry; he was also able to show a high level of analysis in terms of job creation from the current sectors we rely on.

This got me wondering why we tend to take other people for granted. It is not uncommon for people in Botswana to judge a person on the basis of hearsay about who they are and their qualities. Often, one is not given a chance to prove themselves.  Because I knew you to be a clumsy kid at primary school I tend to think you must be clumsy still. 

As for Joina, his popular stories on attempting to 'assassinate' a boarding master while back at high school and other revolutionary chic about taking over government one way or the other and making soldiers go farm for the nation have come to be overplayed with little else he says given much consideration.

From listening to him in a number of public speeches and radio this morning, I challenge people to give him a chance: listen to what he has to say without the inhibitive pre-judgment that most have of him.  As well, forget the fact that he speaks Setswana with a heavy tone and for once just focus on what he has to say. Such people have something important to say but often we cast them aside for some strange reason.

I have now come to realise we cast them aside without giving them much of an ear: else who would really find Joina to be a slapstick comedian given the reason he so often speaks? We need to start listening to men like Joina and not dismiss them off hand.  Had he been Minister of Finance, Botswana would be headed somewhere better - at least judging from his plans for the economy this morning - and they were not all about unbridled Marxism.  No. So, the next time you laugh when he must speak know you are robbing yourself of the chance to be educated.

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