2017-08-28Staff Report 2 Strauss Lunyangwe Windhoek Bob Kandetu launched an interesting read into the past and the present with his new book, titled ‘Timeless Bounds’. A former director general of the NBC Kandetu – who has written for different publications over the years – decided to contextualise articles he wrote for newspapers and books on which he collaborated with other writers. The idea came about due to pressure from academics, who encouraged Kandetu to put all his work into manuscript form, as his writing was always limited to a number of words used on different platforms. “I came to grips with the reality; Namibians in the first place don’t read. The youth in particular would rather have something that is brief or concise,” says Kandetu. The chapters in the book are not even a page long, which was done deliberately to keep readers interested. Kandetu says he hopes to captivate young readers and help them more fully understand Namibia’s trials and tribulations and give a glimpse into numerous subjects spanning various sectoral interests. The chapters provide the reader with some easy reading, with which he hopes to unlock receptivity whereby young readers can also send screenshots of a chapter to friends to draw them to a particular topic within the book. There are also beautiful pictures of then young Namibians, of seminal political leaders and sporting heroes, past and present. Kandetu, who participated in the revolutionary struggle inside Namibia, matriculated from Döbra High School and later studied in the United States of America, where he obtained his first degree from State University of New York, and a Maters of Science in Social Work at Columbia University. Subsequently he also did short courses while overseas. One of the things he now wants to do is help develop education. “I think the State is under pressure, I do not think the State alone will improve the education system. Because our education is dying, good teachers have become businesspeople or administrators in government. We need to set up an education remedial system to start from the early grades in high school and nurture students to perform in their last year of high school,” he says. 2017-08-28Staff Report 2
