Remembering Michael Jackson’s Visit to Windhoek

Michael Jackson’s is a countenance that is instantly recognisable. Whether shrouded behind dark glasses, shadowed below a black hat or smiling shyly next to former President Sam Nujoma.

In a photo exhibition honouring the late legend, Michael’s iconic face takes centre stage in a series of images captured during his visit to Windhoek in May 1998.

Just a sample of a thousand- strong collection which was in the late George Weston’s possession before his death, the exhibition fulfills Weston’s wish to showcase the historical images and make them available to the dignitaries and the public who were photographed during Michael’s stay.

Organised by Hangula Werner and a team of young Namibians, a selection of images was first presented to invited guests and dignitaries at a special evening and auction on 21 June. The exhibition was then opened to the public until 25 June and further extended until today for those hoping to catch a glimpse of themselves in history.

Presenting original photographs, posters and classic canvas prints, Hangula’s team hopes Namibians will take the opportunity to see themselves on the walls of the exhibition or on the wall of a soon-to-be-created Facebook viewing page featuring over 1 000 photographs before requesting their very own a copy.

Some corny and awkward, others grand and gold framed, the exhibition chronicles moments of a stay in which the King of Pop joined African leaders at the Southern African Economic Forum summit to call for debt relief while encouraging a new era for the continent.

After speaking at the summit where he decried the lack of action against the sexual and physical abuse of children, child slave labour, forced homelessness and educational neglect, Michael continued in his advocacy for children with a visit to the SOS Children’s Village where he chatted to the children at the orphanage and distributed gifts; among them a donation of U$20 000 ‘(N$299 355).

Some of this time is documented in the exhibition and resonates with Michael’s speech at the 1998 Southern African Economic Forum where he stated “there must be a global resolve that the 21st century will bring about the caring and protection of our children and, above all, universal love”.

Perhaps lacking a little music and much labelling, the exhibition is a novel and bittersweet showcase of the public as well as African dignitaries such as Thabo Mbeki, Nujoma, Theo-Ben Gurirab and Hage Geingob interacting with the global hero and musical legend in a celebration of history and his lifelong humanitarianism.