Dem Fi Pay People Fi Vote Fa Vaccine

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

Di politician dem a gwaan like seh dem no know how it go. Election time, wen dem a look vote, dem find money fi pay people. One time, di politician dem could a buy vote fi $5000.  Dat done.  Pon June 3, 2021, Gleaner buss dis ya story: “Politicians had to fork out more money to buy votes in the September 3 general election last year as electors increased the price for ballots because of the risks associated with the throes of a second wave of coronavirus spread, a new report published by the Office of the Political Ombudsman alleges.”

See it deh now!  Di people dem weh a sell vote did well an know seh dem a tek big chance wid dem life inna COVID election. Mi hear seh vote did sell fi all $20,000.  It look like seh Govament should a gwaan like seh COVID vaccine a fi dem candidate inna local govament election.  An dem fi start campaign from now.  Dem fi wrap up bout $20,000 inna nuff-nuff T-shirt an go all bout Jamaica an beg people fi vote fa vaccine. Fun an joke aside, mi nuh gree wid buy an sell vote.  Govament a fi find di right way fi get nuff more people fi tek di vaccine.

‘CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER’

Mi know seh Govament a gi out $10,000 “Conditional Cash Transfer” to di people dem over 60 weh get dem two vaccine.  Mi nuh tink seh a ongle dem fi get di cash. Everybody weh want it should a get it.  By di way, wa mek Govament ha fi a call di money “Conditional Cash Transfer”? A who dem a talk to?  Dem couldn’t seh “Vaccine Bonus”?  Mi tired fi beat up mi gum an mi finger dem bout how Govament nah chat fi mek people understand weh dem a seh.  Mi a wonder if dem nuh want ‘transfer’ di ‘conditional cash’ fi true.

Nuff smaddy would a well glad fi get di COVID vaccine bonus. It could a pay taxi fare fi go an come back from ‘blitz.’  One next word weh plenty people nuh know!  An dem could a buy lunch an dinner an still have sopn lef.  Fi wi politician dem nah use fi dem head.  Look how dem did ha fi dash weh bout 60,000 vaccine becau time run out pon dem!  An ascorden to one Gleaner report weh come out pon October 7, one next 268,280 vaccine a go spoil if dem nuh use up by end a month.  

Di govament a Antigua an Barbuda have nuff more sense dan fi wi big brains politician dem.  Inna June, wen 6,000 vaccine did a go spoil pon dem, di govament start raffle off piece a land.  Everybody weh get even one vaccine, dem inna di raffle.  A nuh whole heap a land.  A lickle less dan quarter acre. Member seh Antigua an Barbuda well small. If fi wi govament did have sense, dem would a raffle off some a di idle land weh dem a sit down pon.  Raffle every week! Dem would a shock fi see how much a di so-call ‘anti-vaxxer’ dem, weh a spread lie an story weh dem get offa Internet, would a run go tek vaccine.    

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Di palitishan dem a gwaan laik se dem no nuo ou it go. Ilekshan taim, wen dem a luk vuot, dem fain moni fi pie piipl. Wan taim, di palitshan dem kuda bai vuot fi $5000.  Dat don.  Pan Juun 3, 2021, Gleaner bos dis ya tuori: “Politicians had to fork out more money to buy votes in the September 3 general election last year as electors increased the price for ballots because of the risks associated with the throes of a second wave of coronavirus spread, a new report published by the Office of the Political Ombudsman alleges.”

Siit de nou!  Di piipl dem we a sel vuot did wel an nuo se dem a tek big chaans wid dem laif ina KUOVID ilekshan. Mi ier se vuot did sel fi aal $20,000.  It luk laik se Govament shuda gwaan laik se KUOVID vaksiin a fi dem kyandidet ina luokal govament ilekshan.  An dem fi staat kyampien fram nuo.  Dem fi rap op bout $20,000 ina nof-nof T-short an go aal bout Jamieka an beg piipl fi vuot fa vaksiin. Fon an juok asaid, mi no grii wid bai an sel vuot.  Govament a fi fain di rait wie fi get nof muor piipl fi tek di vaksiin.

CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER’

Mi nuo se Govament a gi out $10,000 “Conditional Cash Transfer” tu di piipl dem uova 60 we get dem tuu vaksiin.  Mi no tingk se a ongl dem fi get di cash. Evribadi we waahn it shuda get it.  Bai di wie, wa mek Govament a fi a kaal di moni “Conditional Cash Transfer”? A uu dem a taak tu?  Dem kudn se “Vaccine Bonus”?  Mi taiyad fi biit op mi gom an mi finga dem bout ou Govament naa chat fi mek piipl andastan we dem a se. Mi a wanda if dem no waahn ‘transfer’ di ‘conditional cash’ fi chruu.

Nof smadi wuda wel glad fi get di KUOVID vaksiin buonos. It kuda pie taksi fier fi go an kom bak fram ‘blitz.’  Wan neks wod we plenti piipl no nuo!  An dem kuda bai lonch an dina an stil av sopn lef.  Fi wi palitishan dem naa yuuz fi dem ed.  Luk ou dem did afi dash we bout 60,000 vaksiin bikaa taim ron out pan dem! An azkaadn tu wan Gleaner ripuot we kom out pan Aktuoba 7, wan neks 268,280 vaksiin a go spwail if dem no yuuz op bai en a mont.  

Di govament a Antigua an Barbuda av nof muor sens dan fi wi big brienz palitishan dem.  Ina Juun, wen 6,000 vaksiin dida go spwail pan dem, di govament staat rafl aaf piis a lan.  Evribadi we get iivn wan vaksiin, dem ina di rafl. A no uol iip a lan.  A likl les dan kwaata ieka. Memba se Antigua an Barbuda wel smaal. If fi wi govament did av sens, dem wuda rafl aaf som a di aigl lan we dem a sidong pan.  Rafl evri wiik! Dem wuda shak fi si omoch a di suo-kaal ‘anti-vaxxer’ dem, we a spred lai an tuori we dem get aafa Intanet, wuda ron go tek vaksiin. 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

They Should Pay People To Vote For Vaccination

Politicians are acting as if they don’t know what’s what. At election time, when they are seeking votes, they find money to pay. Once upon a time, politicians could buy votes for $5000.  Not any more.  On June 3, 2021,  the Gleaner broke this story: “Politicians had to fork out more money to buy votes in the September 3 general election last year as electors increased the price for ballots because of the risks associated with the throes of a second wave of coronavirus spread, a new report published by the Office of the Political Ombudsman alleges.”

There you have it!  The people who were selling votes certainly knew they were taking a big chance with their life in the COVID elections. I heard that votes were sold for as much as $20,000.  It seems as the Government should act as if the COVID vaccine is their candidate in the local government elections.  And they should start campaigning right now.  They should wrap up about $20,000 in lots of T-shirts and go all about Jamaica begging people to vote for the vaccine. Fun and joke aside, I don’t support the buying and selling of votes.  The Government must find the right way to get lots more people vaccinated.

‘CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER’

I know that the Government is making a $10,000 “Conditional Cash Transfer” to people over 60 who are fully vaccinated.  I don’t think it’s only them who should get the cash. Everybody who wants it should get it.  By di way, why does the Government have to describe the payment as a “Conditional Cash Transfer”? Who are they talking to?  Couldn’t they say “Vaccine Bonus”?  I’m tired of saying and writing over and over again that the Government is not communicating in a way that makes it easy to understand their message.  I’m wondering if they don’t really want to actually ‘transfer’ the ‘conditional cash.’

A lot of people would be very glad to get the COVID vaccine bonus. It could cover transportation to and from a ‘blitz.’  Another word that many people don’t know!  And they could buy lunch and dinner and still have money left over.  Our politicians aren’t using their head.  Just think about how they had to throw out 60,000 vaccine doses because they expired!  And according to a Gleaner report published on October 7, another 268,280 doses are going to expire if they are not used by the end of the month.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is much more sensible than our big-brain politicians.  In June, when 6,000 vaccine doses were about to expire, the Government started raffling land.  Everybody who got even one dose was eligible for the raffle. It wasn’t a lot of land:  a little less than a quarter acre. Remember, Antigua and Barbuda are quite small. If our Government had sense, they would raffle some of the idle land they are sitting on.  Raffle every week! They would be shocked to see how many of the so-called ‘anti-vaxxers,’ who are spreading conspiracy theories they find on the Internet, would rush to get vaccinated.  

  

   

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