Windhoek
Doubtlessly one of the most rare character re-inventions ever witnessed within the Namibian sport fraternity, the likeable former Brave Warriors midfield maestro, Congo Hindjou, now stands on the verge of becoming Okahandja’s next mayor.
Well-known to football fans, this is a man who came from humble beginnings and went on to build his reputation as one of Namibia’s most respected and successful footballers and has since become an entrepreneur of note.
Speaking to New Era Sport moments after it was announced that Swapo had won five of the seven seats in the Okahandja local authority elections, a clearly jovial Hindjou – who was near the top of the party’s list of candidates – had a few wise words for his fans: “Believe in yourself, work hard and you will make it in life.”
As a former footballer with first-hand experience of the day-to-day struggles that footballers go through in this country, Hindjou advised active footballers to remain humble, to believe in themselves and to focus on their goals in life.
“In Namibian politics, it’s very rare and tough for a footballer to enter the circles of politics, but I remained focused on my goals and plans of serving my community through various platforms. I really want to thank the people of Okahandja, who showed that they have confidence in me and gave me a chance to serve them,” Hindjou said.
“I want to bring change to my community and to improve the lives of my people. I was born and raised in Okahandja and now I’ve been given a chance to plough back. I will work hard to the best of my abilities to make sure I improve the livelihood of the people through teamwork and dedication.”
“Sport-wise, I also want to find ways we can improve facilities, so that we can start hosting big tournaments, such as the Namibian Newspaper Cup, or even the league matches.
“Okahandja is a central town, but these competitions pass through and are hosted in other towns – so the plan is to improve the situation, amongst other challenges facing the town’s youth,” he concluded.