“I would love to ride for Namibia but I have had problems in applying for permanent residence. My husband has permanent residence but we are still battling to sort my permanent residence out,” said Genevieve Weber, the Namibian-based mountain bike rider who won the 35-39 year old female category at the World Mountain Bike Championships in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa last week.
“I would love to ride for Namibia but I have had problems in applying for permanent residence. My husband has permanent residence but we are still battling to sort my permanent residence out,” said Genevieve Weber, the Namibian-based mountain bike rider who won the 35-39 year old female category at the World Mountain Bike Championships in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa last week.
“This is where I started mountain bike racing, so Namibia is very close to my heart. When I was racing at the World Champs I had the Namibian flag on my jersey so this is my first love,” she added.
Weber has lived in this country for nine years but is still a South African national because the Namibian law requires that she have resided within its borders for at least 10 years before she can be considered for citizenship. While I have no desire to dispute the Constitution, it would arguably be advantageous for Namibia to consider a ‘special sporting nationality’ for ‘outstanding’ individuals like Weber to be able to represent the country at international competitions.
It is a practice, frequently adopted by leading sporting nations the world-over, and across the border.
South Africa perennially poaches the best rugby and cricket prospects from Namibia. Many have gone on to become household names and have helped fill their trophy cabinets.
In July, Angola naturalised US forward Reggie Moore, who helped them win the recent Basketball African Cup of Nations (Afrobasket 2013) in Ivory Coast. Angola also awarded citizenship to Argentine Martin Payero, a roller hockey player who is expected to improve their chances of success at the World Hockey Skates Cup to be staged in Luanda and Namibe later this month .
If truth be told, Namibia too could do with a sprinkling of international class in order to improve its level of competitiveness.
While we may not attract the pick of the elite athletes to our shores, the ones of sufficient ability, and deemed surplus to requirements by their countries of origin, who toil in our arenas are worth supplementing homegrown talent with. Especially the youthful ones.
Our national selectors should begin to start making enquiries about the availability and willingness of these foreign stars to represent Namibia.
Someone like Weber should not be made to ‘beg’ for citizenship when her actions show her to be just as Namibian, if not more so, than any other person of natural heritage.
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