Popular local musician Mushe, real name Albert Uulenga, has six vehicles, each brandishing a personalised number plate from ‘Mushe NA’ to ‘Mushe 5 NA.’ And the reason, he says is so he can drive a different vehicle each day. Besides the personalised six vehicles, Mushe also has two other vehicles that he uses for his business.
“I am a motor vehicle lover. I love fast vehicles, especially the Audi brand, which in fact was also my first vehicle. My dream and vision is to have seven vehicles on a full-time basis that will be available to Mushe to use. In fact, I am looking at a vehicle per day strategy. Monday I must drive Mushe 1, Tuesday I drive Mushe 2 and so it goes until Sunday when I must drive Mushe 7. I was motivated to adopt this strategy by one rich man that has the same strategy in the Middle East. Every day he pulls out a different vehicle. That is what I want Mushe to stand for at the end of the day,” said Mushe with a smile on his face.
Mushe has lately been known for being “omunangeshefa”, which means businessperson. One of his businesses is a bar and restaurant at Ondangwa, and that is where one would find his vehicles parked side by side.
He says he bought his first vehicle from his mother for N$11 000 a few years ago when he was still very young. It was a Toyota Corolla 1.8. He says he used the vehicle with fellow musician Exit (real name David Shikalepo) when they were a duo called Exit and Mushe. That Toyota Corolla was their mode of transportation.
His second vehicle was a BMW 318, which he bought from a friend from Oranjemund for N$20 000. His third vehicle was an Audi A3, which he had bought for N$45 000. He would write off the vehicle in an accident traffic circle close to the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino in Windhoek.
As his music career was picking up and he needed capital investment, he was forced to sell both the Toyota Corolla and the BMW. The money was then invested to release his first solo album.
When everything became rosy and he was back on his feet again, he went to Durban and bought himself a red Audi sedan. He says this is his favourite vehicle and that stole his heart. He has travelled the whole country in this vehicle and as such has created memories that are hard to erase.
“My fourth vehicle was a bakkie. When I won the title Artist of the Year at the Nama awards, everything changed for good. I literally walked away that night with six awards. I used the money I won at the Nama awards wisely, as an ‘ounangeshefa’. I bought a house and a Mazda bakkie. I had to buy a bakkie. There is no way I could bypass that, as my father would not allow such things. For one to show that you are now a grown man, buying a bakkie is one such thing you must do. My father has a big heart for the Mazda and Ford brands, and surely that motivated me to follow in his footsteps and that’s why I bought this Mazda bakkie,” said Mushe.Since Mushe needed a toy to play with, he bought a Jetta 4 with a V5 engine, which today bears the number plate Mushe 4 NA. He also has a Renault Clio with number plate Mushe 3 NA, which he says is for town driving because of its fuel efficiency.
Mushe says he is now planning on the vehicle that would bear the number plate Mushe 7 NA, which in all likelihood would be an Audi RS. “I love Audi’s. My next vehicle would be an Audi RS. I love their shape, the comfort inside and especially their speed. Once inside an Audi you feel so comfortable and safe. I believe that Audis are good vehicles as they don’t give too much trouble either,” he says.