Daughter of the well-respected school teacher and clergyman, the late Tate Lukas Hipondoka Snr, and baby sister to the talented football-playing brothers Aupapa, Sekulu, and Metuu Hipondoka, Demu was not to be overshadowed by her brothers’ unmatched success on the football fields.
Born in Namibia’s largest city, Windhoek, in 1966, the young girl lived, ate, and dreamed of netball from a very young age. ‘Demu’ showed talent well beyond her years during her time at Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School in Katutura.
The super energetic basket rattler was amongst an enthusiastic group of a new breed of youngsters ushered on board to bolster the ageing squad, succeeding the golden generation of Sii Nampa Mbako-Pescha, Nuusiku Seka Amwenye, Chuku Mutumbulwa, Demba Mwashekele, and others that kept the incredible side ‘Ingwe’ in the business.
Credible statistics reveal that ‘Ingwe’ is the most consistent team in domestic netball, having weathered storms through troubled waters on several occasions with players coming and going. However, the resolute Demu stood firm. She was the designated heartbeat of ‘Ingwe’, always coming to the team’s rescue when the situation demanded.
A highly intelligent all-rounder, ‘Demu’ was more comfortable operating close to the goalposts, confidently occupying the key role of goal scorer in Ingwe’s starting lineup. Surprisingly, the netball enthusiast Madame supervised several generations at ‘Ingwe’, guiding and outlasting her protégés in the well-decorated Tigers cage.
Demu’s eye-catching consistent performance at club level did not go unnoticed, and Demu was rightly rewarded with a call-up to the national senior netball team. Significantly, survival in a game mainly dominated by the more skilled, graceful players was not going to be easy.
As a result, she was forced to go all out to earn her spot on the team based on her merits. Honestly, Namibian netball is now less vibrant without the beloved, timeless basket rattler.
Demu will be deeply missed on local netball courts. Off the field, she was a joyful person always carrying a smile on her face and was a friend to everyone in the sports community. Besides her significant contribution to the overall development of netball, Demu was a regular attendee at football matches, especially whenever her favorite Ingwe was playing.
In the meantime, Tigers Sport Club issued a touching tribute to one of the most easily recognisable family members.
“Tigers Sport Club would like to deeply extend our condolences as an entire community, as family to the bereaved relatives of one of our valuable players and unwavering supporter, famously known as Demulition, indeed a great loss to the Tigers Sport Club. We will surely miss you, our dearest sister… May your soul rest in peace.” reads Tigers Sport Club tribute.
Demu leaves behind brother Mentos (68), daughter Ashley, fathered by African Stars Football Club, and Provincial, much-adored, hard-tackling, overlapping fullback, the recently departed Ishmael George Gariseb. May his soul continue to rest in eternal peace in one piece.
RIP – Theofelus ‘Dlamini’ Mberirua 1962 – 2025
For many, noted local academic Theo Mberirua was just the high-profile reserved personality who spearheaded several top business enterprises with great aplomb. However, the easygoing bookish fellow was a phenomenal ball juggler during his formative years at the revered Augustineum Secondary School.
The brother was a popular figure and always the center of attention during the short-break football engagements, where leaners showcased their God-given skills to the maximum using a small tennis ball. Theo was the main ‘Langana’, leaving his peers in absolute awe with jaw dropping deft touches to the extent that he was re-baptised ‘Dlamini’ after former Orlando Pirates (SA) ball juggler Oscar ‘Jazzman’ Dlamini.
Unfortunately, that was as far as he could fiddle with the spherical object because the aim was to realise long-held academic aspirations. Upon completing his secondary education, young Theo took to the blue skies across the vast Atlantic Ocean, only to resurface in the United States of America (USA).
Armed with sufficient artificial intelligence and wisdom, the calculated brother calmly cat-footed to his native land. Home is always where the heart is. The scholarly boy with the Midas touch was hurriedly roped in to the revamped, vibrant management team at Katutura glamour football club, African Stars. The streetwise scholar played a significant role in turning the Reds’ fortunes around, bringing them back from the brink with his trademark Midas touch.
Additionally, the well-read bloke is rightly and justifiably so, accredited for having played a big hand in convincing his hard-to-please bosses at Bidvest Namibia to sponsor the lucrative FA Bidvest National Knockout Trophy.