Columns

On the morning of 12 March 2020, I woke up in India with plans to fly to Nepal for a 180-day trek to Everest Base Camp, but I ended up in Singapore with my partner.

Before travelling to Namibia’s least inhabited area, which borders the cold Atlantic Ocean to the west with the rugged Angolan wilderness to the north, the only ovaHimba I had seen in my life were at OK parking, selling their crafts. 

Over the years, situations facing countries, organisations and individuals tested the abilities of people in charge to handle them and vigilance about destructive issues in their surroundings to protect the territorial integrity of their environments.

Raising children is difficult but raising an African child is an even bigger challenge.

It is rather ironic how the Covid-19 global pandemic (which some feel is an apocalypse), proved to me how desperate society has made us to aspire to be heroes.

When the crowds were gathered in the streets of Namibia, the cheers were of a free Namibia. A Namibia free of apartheid, racism and a Namibia free from colonization, the year was 1990. Yet, here we are, 30 years later still having to shout and scream to have black voices heard.

I was once told that if you want to stay at the top, you constantly have to keep reinventing yourself, the moment you become comfortable or complacent is the moment your downfall starts. In matters of the heart and platonic relationships, I have found that the same principle applies as well.

I am not convinced that sending our kiddos to school in the middle of this deadly virus is the best decision our education ministry could have made – and that at a time when winter is upon us and the virus is expected to be most opportunistic. While I understand that our children are behind with their schoolwork and trying to e-teach them did not work out because of the stark reality we had to wake up to that the economic and digital gap in our society is so wide, the ministry should have invited public discussion and input on this predicament.  Where are the town hall meetings when you need them most?

I have made friendships with incredible people from all walks of life and this includes different religious beliefs. 

Remember how the discoteca just had to glue you to the dancefloor because DJ Thabo kept playing your favourite number – song after song – to keep you there until those bright lights of “shame” came on in the wee hours of the morning and you had to quickly make your way out of the club before that undesired outjie who had his eyes on you could recognise you since your chompoms and you jas-skeered his pockets empty after he bought you guys tons of drinks and braai meat all night?