Thief from thief, JPS nah laugh

Two spelling systems are used for the Jamaican language below. The first, which I call ‘chaka-chaka’, is based on English spelling. The second, ‘prapa-prapa’, is the specialist system designed by the Jamaican linguist Frederic Cassidy. It has been updated by the Jamaican Language Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona. After the two Jamaican versions, there’s an English translation.

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

Jamaica Public Service (JPS) shuda shame. Dem name a mud. Nuff smaddy outa road a call dem thief. Uptown an downtown! Pon Saturday, July 11, demonstration gainst JPS keep up front a dem office pon Half-Way Tree Rd. Dr Marc Ricketts im a di head man fi di demonstration. One a di sign dem seh, “Just Plain Stealing”. Dat a wa JPS stand fa. Wat a disgrace!

Old-time people seh, “Thief from thief, Massa God laugh.” Inna dis ya time, it look like seh JPS a big thief. An whole heap a lickle thief nah mek joke fi thief light from JPS. Massa God mighta laugh. Not JPS! Dem bex so til. Dem a tek it out pon all a wi weh nah thief no light, an a try wi best fi pay fi dem thiefing light bill. Fi every 1,000 dollar pon wi light bill, a 210 dollar JPS a tek fi mek up di money dem nah get from di odder thief dem. How dat kuda fair? Nutten caan go so.

JPS shame tree dead, dead, dead. Dem nuh shame fi tell wi seh dem a force wi fi pay fi light weh wi nah use. See one next sign from di demonstration ya: “We not paying for no more tiefing light!!” JPS better go look fi all a di thief dem. An collect fi dem money. Wi done know seh a no ongle lickle thief deh bout. Som a dem big company deh nah pay fi dem rightful light bill. All kind a bandooloo connection a mek.

WAT A PIECE A WICKEDNESS!

Pon top a dat, ascorden to energy minister Fayval Williams, wi a pay nuff more fi electricity dan plenty odder country. A so shi seh pon Nationwide News pon July 2. Wi a pay two time di average price fi electricity eena di whole world. Wa mek? Oonoo shuda member average from primary school. If yu add up di one-one price weh di 195 country dem eena di world a pay fi 1 kilowatt, an divide dat deh number by 195, dat a di average.

JPS a try blame coronavirus fi di thiefing light bill dem weh dem a send wi fi di last couple month. Dem seh wi a work from wi yard an wi have pikni a study pon computer. But a nuh all a wi. One man email mi an beg mi fi tell oonoo wa JPS do im modder. Fi one long time, shi dida pay 5,000 dollar a month fi light. Den it jump up to 7,000 dollar. Eena May, shi get one bill fi 12,000 dollar. Wat a piece a wickedness!

Shi go a JPS office fi aks question bout her bill. Dem tell her fi pay 10,000 dollar, an dem wi come look pon her meter wen virus gone. A when dat? Me waan know wa Govament a do fi stop JPS from hold wi down an tek weh wi money. Wi tired a it. Nuff more a wi a go march gainst JPS wen Dr Ricketts call di next demonstration. Wi nah romp wid JPS. Wi waan justice.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Jamieka Poblik Sorvis (JPS) shuda shiem. Dem niem a mod. Nof smadi outa ruod a kaal dem tiif. Optoun an dountoun! Pan Satide, Juulai 11, demanschrieshan gens JPS kip op front a dem afis pan Half-Way Tree Rd. Dr Marc Ricketts im a di ed man fi di demanschrieshan. Wan a di sain dem se, “Just Plain Stealing”. Dat a wa JPS stan fa. Wat a disgries!

Uol-taim piipl se, “Tiif fram tiif, Maasa Gad laaf.” In a dis ya taim, it luk laik se JPS a big tiif. An uol iip a likl tiif naa mek juok fi tiif lait fram JPS. Maasa Gad maita laaf. Nat JPS! Dem beks so til. Dem a tek it out pan aal a wi we naa tiif no lait, an a chrai wi bes fi pie fi dem tiifin lait bil. Fi evri 1,000 dala pan wi lait bil, a 210 dala JPS a tek fi mek op di moni dem naa get fram di ada tiif dem. Ou dat kuda fier? Notn kyaahn go so.

JPS shiem chrii ded, ded, ded. Dem no shiem fi tel wi se dem a fuors wi fi pie fi lait we wi naa yuuz. Si wan neks sain fram di demanschrieshan ya: “We not paying for no more tiefing light!!” JPS beta go luk fi aal a di tiif dem. An kalek fi dem moni. Wi don nuo se a no ongl likl tiif de bout. Som a dem big kompini de naa pie fi dem raitful lait bil. Aal kain a banduulu kanekshan a mek.

WAT A PIIS A WIKIDNIS!

Pan tap a dat, azkaadn tu enaji minista Fayval Williams, wi a pie nof muor fi ilekchrisiti dan plenti ada konchri. A so shi se pan Nationwide News pan Juulai 2. Wi a pie tuu taim di avrij prais fi ilekchristi iina di uol worl. Wa mek? Unu shuda memba avrij fram praimeri skuul. If yu ad op di wan-wan prais we di 195 konchri dem iina di worl a pie fi 1 kilowat, an divaid dat de nomba bai 195, dat a di avrij.

JPS a chrai bliem koruonavairos fi di tiifin lait bil dem we dem a sen wi fi di laas kopl mont. Dem se wi a work fram wi yaad an wi av pikni a stodi pan kompyuuta. Bot a no aal a wi. Wan man iimiel mi an beg mi fi tel unu wa JPS du im mada. Fi wan lang taim, shi dida pie 5,000 dala a mont fi lait. Den it jomp op tu 7,000 dala. Ina Mie, shi get wan bil fi 12,000 dala. Wat a piis a wikidnis!

Hi go a JPS afis fi aks kweschyan bout ar bil. Dem tel ar fi pie 10,000 , an dem wi kom luk pan ar miita wen vairos gaan. A wen dat? Mii waahn nuo wa Govament a du fi stap JPS fram uol wi dong an tek we wi moni. Wi taiyad a it. Nof muor a wi a go maach gens JPS wen Dr Ricketts kaal di neks demanschrieshan. Wi naa ramp wid JPS. Wi waahn jostis.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

A THIEF ROBS A THIEF, JPS IS NOT AMUSED

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) should be ashamed.  Their name is being dragged in the mud.  Lots of people everywhere are calling them thieves. Uptown and downtown!  On Saturday, July 11, a demonstration against JPS was held in front of their office on Half-Way-Tree Rd. It was Dr Marc Ricketts who organised it. One of the placards read, “Just Plain Stealing”.  That’s what JPS stands for.  What a disgrace!

Proverbial wisdom confirms that, “God laughs when a thief is robbed.”   These days, it looks as if JPS is a big thief.  And a lot of small-time thieves are not joking about stealing electricity. God might laugh.  Not JPS!  They are rather angry.  They are taking it out on all of us who are not stealing electricity and are trying our best to pay their thieving bill. Twenty-one percent of our electricity bill is taken by JPS to help make up losses from other thieves. How could that be fair? That’s just unconscionable. 

JPS has absolutely no shame.   They are not ashamed to let us know that they are compelling us to pay for electricity we’ve not consumed. Here’s another placard from the demonstration:  “We not paying for no more tiefing light!!” [We are not paying any more for stolen electricity] JPS had better investigate all the cases of theft. And collect their money.  We do know that it’s not just petty thieves out there. Some of those big companies are not paying their fair share. All kinds of illegal connections are being made.

SUCH WICKEDNESS!

On top of that, we are paying a lot more for electricity than many other countries. That’s what energy minister Fayval Williams said on Nationwide News on July 2.  We are paying twice the average price. Why? You should remember averages from primary school.   If you add up the individual price that all 195 countries pay per kilowatt, and divide that number by 195, the result is the average cost.

JPS is trying to blame the coronavirus for the thieving electricity bills they have been sending us over the last couple of months.  They say we are working from home and we have children using the computer to study.  But not all of us.  A man emailed me and begged me to expose what JPS did to his mother.  For quite some time, she used to pay 5000 dollars per month for electricity. Then the bill jumped to 7000 dollars.  In May, she got a bill for 12,000 dollars. Such wickedness! 

She went to the JPS office to query her bill.  They told her to pay 10,000 dollars, and they would check her meter when the virus was gone. When will that be?  I want to know what the Government is doing to stop JPS from holding us down and taking away our money. We are tired ot it. A lot more of us are going to march against JPS when Dr Ricketts calls the next demonstration.  We are not playing with JPS.  We want justice.