Some Thoughts

I think we are really going through a lot as Namibians. Maybe it’s something about it being an election year that has us all acting a little crazy, or perhaps it’s the approaching festive season. But yoh, I’m itching to address a few things.

The first thing I think we should discuss is NSK’s outburst at the Simply You Magazine Lifestyle and Fashion Awards two weekends ago. He stormed the stage at a ceremony honouring media darlings and artists, declaring that he should have received the Best Male Radio Presenter award, interrupting the actual winner, Donald Kariseb, during his acceptance speech.

To top it off, he was dressed like Kanye when he interrupted Taylor Swift on behalf of Beyoncé at the 2009 VMAs. Nothing good ever happens when a guy is wearing a black leather shirt or carrying a Hennessy bottle as an accessory.

I know NSK personally, so I’m saying this as gently as humanly possible, but my guy, it was a voting competition. The person who deserved the award was the person who got the most votes.

These are awards by a private entity that actually doesn’t owe you anything. I’m sorry to say this, but flipping off the audience and ruining someone else’s moment isn’t cute – although I will admit it brought some much-needed excitement to a ceremony that has otherwise become underwhelming over the years.

Thankfully, Kariseb handled it with grace. On another note, can someone please give a beer to the guy who adjusted the microphone for NSK so the crowd could hear his meltdown? Peak unhinged behaviour and great comedic timing.

NSK went on radio and sort of apologised. Now social media is awash with drama, rumours, judgements, anger, laughter – all of it.

Secondly, I have many suspicions regarding the Belv Hair case, and that woman’s bookkeeping skills, but for the sake of avoiding my own cease and desist, I won’t go into them. However, I must say, it’s rather crazy that she really could have avoided all this trouble if she hadn’t been rude.

I’m certain she could have evaded her debtors a while longer if she’d at least tried some smooth talk and gaslighting. Most of the time, vendors with shitty service also have a chip on their shoulders for whatever reason.

The original grievance that kicked off the drama had to do with how long the hair was taking to arrive and how poorly Belvana was communicating. It then ballooned into hundreds of unhappy customers and showdowns at the police station.

No matter how small your enterprise is, you should be doing some form of record keeping, right? Now you’re screaming at people, showing not even an ounce of remorse, accruing debt allegedly in the hundreds of thousands, provoking Namra’s Sam Shivute unnecessarily, and ultimately closing your business for good.

Even her apology on Instagram came with the instructions “read properly” – as if everyone’s lack of reading comprehension is why she’s in this mess, and not her own actions.

On the other hand, I have very little sympathy for people who pay for items that still need to be ordered.

We’re in the 21st century, guys; you can get almost anything you want from anywhere in the world if you take the time to do some research. No offence but (allegedly) getting scammed in 2024 is crazy business.

Lastly, Miss Namibia’s first national ‘costume’ was unveiled, and unsurprisingly, it was lacklustre and uninspired. The theme was apparently ‘where the desert meets the ocean’, which somehow translated to a gold satin matric farewell dress with cheap wings made of wire that I’m pretty sure I could bend easily.

I’m not sure which part of it represents the ocean, and I actually think it’s very unfair to the reigning queen for the organisation to send her to an international stage so ill-equipped to compete with the other contestants.

The whole nation almost had a conniption too, and the main question on everyone’s lips was, ‘what was the budget?’ Then a second dress was presented to us, and we all calmed down a tiny bit. This time around, we were given a gorgeous and creative gown that was definitely conceptualised by fresh-minded, forward-thinking people.

It has elements of various local tribes, a sleek design, and a headpiece that looked as though real time and effort had been put into it.

I need the organisation to continue in this direction and to accept that this pageant is a big deal that requires effort and preparation– especially when you look at contestants around the world who show up with steel frames, mechanical wires, fireworks, moving parts, flair, drama and a sense of je ne sais quoi.

The point is to be dramatic and over the top and to leave a lasting impression on the judges and viewers. Otherwise, why even go? Also, to be frank, I’m 30, and I know I’d be too old to be heading the creative direction of our international participation. I’m not sure who’s behind the team, but it might be time to consider hiring and listening to more Gen Z voices.

• Anne Hambuda is a writer, social commentator and poet. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.