Bob Kandetu
The last six weeks has witnessed the passing of so many people of quality in Namibia: Dr Van Zyl, a scientist of high repute from Outjo, living in the United States, Honourable Dirk Mudge, mentor of the Namibian state and political leader of high standing.
Jeremiah Mati Ndjoze, formerly diplomat and subsequently councillor for the Otjombinde constituency, Advocate Moses Ndjarakana, former secretary of the National Assembly and director of elections.
And then follows Sylvanus Vatuva, former governor of the Oshana region, with whom I have shared trenches during Namibia’s years of upheaval. Ondangere Kainikova Kaizemi of Okeserahi in the Okakarara constituency also died and now my good friend and brother Seth Boois.
Each of these most eminent children of the storm served as the bridge that brought this nation over and they deserve a chapter in turn. But today, I was impelled by emotion to write a note about Seth Boois, my brother, my colleague and my fellow sports promoter.
When I took the reigns as chairman of Black Africa Sports Club in the mid-eighties, Seth was a prolific soccer player. He retired and became secretary for the club. In time he was attracted to coaching and we sent him to Brazil for a coaching course, followed by an advanced training course in Swaziland. That is how he became a winning coach with BA.
We ran Black Africa together for the better part of the ensuing seven years and transformed the Lively Lions into the Team to Beat, with the motto: “Anything they can do, we can do
better”.
During Namibia’s most challenging soccer period, Seth was given the Brave Warriors to coach and he asked me to take the role of manager. We took the Warriors out of the slump of the inactive soccer season, similar to what obtains currently and, eight months later we left the national team on a stable footing and we went back to Black Africa for a season or two before we called it quit.
Someone called to tell me that Seth Boois had died and that left me numb, as I was not even aware that he was sick and in hospital. And I must admit that I am in a state of denial still, that Bucks has died. Only time will tell how this will all settle.