The boy in the picture

Twenty-five years ago, four-year-old Given Bassingthwaighte posed for a picture that would later become the symbol of a united Namibian nation. The nation had emerged victoriously from a painful and bitterly long apartheid past that left many scars. The picture of a black boy sitting next to a white girl boldly set the tone for reconciliation. It created a sense of pride and hope that things would change for the better. And now, 25 years later, this symbol of unity is an adult and proud father of a young Namibian who turns one next month. “I have always experienced Namibia just as that picture showed. There is no apartheid anymore, you just do not hear of racial hatred anymore, Bassingthwaighte said. He proudly relates how the photo hung from lampposts during the country’s independence celebrations. “I cannot remember much but I remember that my parents used to show me the picture. They cut it out of the newspaper to keep, he said. WINDHOEK JEMIMA BEUKES