On the collapse of football

In 1912, German Philosopher Edmund Husserl began a series of works, at the University of Gottingen, that would later develop into what became known as the phenomenology movement.

This movement ushered in a different way of studying philosophy. Husserl saw phenomenology as a “systematic reflection on and study of the structures of the consciousness” that manifest itself in acts of consciousness.

In plain language, we understand phenomenology, in philosophy as the study of the structures of experience and consciousness.

An in-depth study of phenomenology will lead to the discovery of its uniqueness; it''s ability to go beyond what is regarded as “objective research”.

Phenomenology does not only study the consciousness, but the content of the conscious; judgement, perception and emotion are also taken into account with phenomenological research.

By studying and analysing daily human behaviour and experiences, phenomenologists argue, one gets a greater understanding of nature. Although there is no time to discuss the details, phenomenology places particular emphasis on intention, intuition, evidence, noesis and noema, empathy and inter-subjectivity.

That we are living in a degenerating society is something many are not willing to admit. Part of the problem is that in public discourse we have a hierarchy of issues that qualify as public concern.

A scandal like the collapse of football does not immediately become a concern in mainstream public discourse. This is exactly what phenomenology rejected; all the experiences of human beings matter. As we learn from phenomenology, let us therefore learn and recognise the judgements, perceptions and emotions of those to whom football is everything.

So, how do we analyse the collapse of football using the categories; intentionality, intuition, evidence, noesis and noema, empathy and inter-subjectivity?

To be able to do this, in a phenomenological fashion, we need to bring to the fore the aspects many ignore about the state of affairs under this discussion; the collapse of football. Below follows what many do not realise.

Youth unemployment stands at 60% and football used to be a source of employment for the youth, meaning that the youth have lost a source of income. Football is not like politics where people who are 80 can still be in office, no team wants a 45-year-old - football is a youthful business. The collapse of football therefore means a loss of time and opportunity. The opportunities of being noticed by international teams have also been put on ice so the collapse of football can be seen as career sabotage.

Given that football does not require tertiary qualifications and statistics, since only few Namibians have tertiary qualifications, football became an opportunity to escape criminal activity – the thug life. The collapse of football basically means that criminals, who would otherwise be busy playing football, would return to criminality, but this does not mean that football is only for criminals. Many football fans are not criminals, but good people. The point though is to note the role that football plays in reducing crime.

Consider and remember, what happens when there is a game between African Stars and Tigers. The Sam Nujoma Stadium will be full. The women that sell meat, cool drinks, hotdogs and all other food items during the games would sell their goods at the stadium. In most cases, the food finishes and these women would return happy and ready to feed their families and pay the school fees of their children.

In fact, there are people whose survival depends on selling food at soccer stadiums. There are young men who come all the way from Havana and who walk around the stands to sell sweets, biscuits and boerewors to soccer fans. There are many other businesses that take place there.

It is not just in Windhoek. It is the same with the Omaalala-based Oshana Village League that has also collapsed. It would give opportunities to young entrepreneurs and women who would sell thier goods at Mvula Football Stadium. It is the same in Gobabis, Rundu and Walvis Bay and everywhere in Namibia.

Because of the collapse of football, all these opportunities are lost to our people.

How insensitive the self-serving elites are, eating at restaurants, is something they don''t realise.

Clearly, since football is generally a youthful affair, is that the youth must take over football and answer the questions. Old people do not value football. For this reason that Sport Minister Jerry Ekandjo, scandalously so, has said a word about what his ministry will do to address this matter.

Think about what would happen if the following days are to be cancelled; independence celebration and Heroes'' Day. If they had their way, politicians would even seek to arrest this writer for painting such a scenario. It would simply not happen, because old people in power value what is associated with their generation. Those who disagree must explain why the politicians have refused, and continue to refuse, to include their own off-spring as part of the benefit regime provided for by the Veterans Act.

That our country would allow things to get this far cannot merely be understood from the perspective of old people who do not care about the young, totally indifferent to those at the lower levels of economic sphere.

It can also be understood from the perspective of our inability to understand the shame and scandal this lack of leadership brings to us as Namibians .

Although not independently verified, this writer would not be shocked if it is to be confirmed that there are only three countries without operational football leagues in Africa; Somalia and South Sudan – The third country is Namibia. Somalia and South Sudan are countries at war. Namibia apparently has “peace and stability”.

What a scandal!