DO we as Namibians really want genuine, honest and fair analysts or praise singers. I’m just asking? It’s quite disturbing to witness and follow the manner in which some principled and uncompromising analysts are attacked and ridiculed to the core for exposing the truth.
The brouhaha that is dominating the much trumpeted SARPCCO Games underway right here under our noses in the capital, is a serious cause for concern and an inexcusable embarrassment to our beloved land as clueless event organizers are left to scuttle around like a disorganized flock of sheep. Dear readers, please pardon my ignorance but my sincere understanding or impression for that matter is that the primary duty of analysts is to examine current affairs and situations of public interest critically and objectively and not to assume pro or contra positions per se. It’s extremely hard to explain or get one’s finger on the pulse over the chaotic disorganization of the so-called Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the police games.
For starters, the patchy programme of the games is totally incoherent, to say the least, and resembles more of a proposal that was scribbled hastily on a piece of paper at the eleventh hour by someone preoccupied with something more important elsewhere. There is simply no specific information on the fixtures outlining the identity of the opposition. This unacceptable way of doing things is undermining our efforts as news gatherers and makes it very difficult to provide extensive coverage of the police games underway in the capital as is customary practice all over the world.
Attempting to get the simplest of information or directions from the LOC is like trying to draw a drop of water from a rock with no specific person assigned to provide the media with the required information. Sports journalists were being sent from pillar to post since the games commenced as they sought to lay their hands on the most basic information.
The opening women’s football match between Namibia and South Africa was delayed for 45 minutes because the home side was nowhere to be seen at the scheduled kick-off time, which was 15h30 to be precise, leaving the small crowd that showed up, including journalists and the visiting team bewildered and completely at a loss in the face of the epic fumbling of the LOC. In my view, simply add the letter ‘o’ to the abbreviation LOC and you’ll find that they (organizers) went around the bend.
These blokes must be smoking their socks and appear to have taken their eyes off the ball. What in the world makes them think they are above the very minimum standards of decorum and organization! Thank the almighty these are mere games and not an onslaught of organized criminals. Punctuality vakwetu, punctuality is key!
It also boggles the mind as to why organizers did not rope in the services of volunteers or professionals. Given the number of participants, one can only estimate that at least 120 officials should have been deployed to oversee proceedings. It’s precisely through this sort of lax and devil may care attitude that we keep lowering the bar and make lame excuses to justify our failure at major sporting events.
In all honesty, some people would not care less to embarrass us in the eyes of our visitors! Yours truly is a patriot and a son of this soil, but I’m afraid to say the overall organization of the SARPCOO Games leaves too much to be desired, it is a sad and embarrassing spectacle. Nay, to put it plainly this is bloody chicken bizniz!
It certainly does not take a rocket scientist to realize that those who have been entrusted with the organization of the regional police games are completely outside their circle of competence. Maybe they can handle staging a piss-up in a brewery, but I doubt even that. It should be remembered that the taxpayer has pumped in a massive N$33 million to stage these games, with very generous contributions from private businesses and this is how they are repaid. The powers that be, at police headquarters, should have enlisted the professional services and expertise of people with the required knowledge and proven organizational acumen to assist them in putting their ducks in a row for this one. Too bad, this has been another lost opportunity. I rest my case.
By Carlos Kambaekwa