Being a Buchter...

Re: A salute and tribute to Buchters – past, present, and future Deep, deep in the south of Namibia, there lies a town nestled amongst the windswept boulders of the rugged coastline. The town and people are known by many names. Some call it Olindiri, some call it Okakoverua, some simply call it Lüderitz, but the name the inhabitants of that town affectionately use is the Bucht. Themselves, they call Buchters. This is a salute and tribute to the Buchters of past, present and future. I was born in Lüderitz and it has formed me in every way; a hometown forms a boy. I want to explain exactly what we mean when we say we are Bucthers and why we Buchters are proud to be called Buchters: “A Lüderitzbuchter or Buchter” is not just someone born in Lüderitz. The name Buchter defines a very special group of people who enjoy life to the fullest. There is an expression for Lüderitz and its people, “The Bucht tires you!” because we can never get enough of talking, of laughing and of having a good time! When you visit Lüderitz, this is the type of spirit you can expect! It is hard to find a bunch of Buchters without there being laughter and merriness as well. There is no social ranking amongst Buchters, as the saying goes “you can be a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer or whatever elsewhere. As soon as you enter Luderitz and you are a Buchter, then humble yourself and be just that: A Buchter without pretense”. To do otherwise is to invite scorn and mockery, since in the Bucht no one takes him or herself too seriously; life is too short and too good for that. Simply be yourself and let others be themselves since Buchters believe that for everyone, there is a special place upon this land God created for us. And for the Buchter that special place is called Lüderitz. The southern extremes of Namibia are defined by five special elements: the ocean, wind, fish and crayfish, parties and contrasting scenery. We have an affinity for the sea, for obvious economic reasons, but it's more than that. We sit on Agate Beach or just a rock and absorb the energy of the ocean and dream of faraway places. In the south, we talk about the wind, because it is the wind that defines the weather. No wonder it even has its own name Souwi (South-Western). If it is windy, it is good for fishing, so the fishermen are doing what they do best and what they have been doing for ages, fishing. When the Sowi blows everyone else remains indoors; this is an excellent time to visit friends, since you can be assured the Sowi will keep them inside. Interestingly, all guys in the Bucht are called “Jack” and all girls are called “My Sista!” Most Buchters also have a Buchter Name by which they are known. This is so entrenched that we swear high and low not to know somebody when discussing them based on their given or official names until you mention their Buchter name. Then all is clear and we know exactly about whom you are talking. A few of these names are “Betaal” for one of the most brilliant barbers I have known, then there is “OuNasie” the school principal, “Kaptein”, one of the beacons and pillars that stood as a political voice alongside many during our recent past, “Striker” a gifted striker, “Flasha”, who could outrun the wind, “Evangelist”, a principled reverend, educator and mentor of many and so the least go on... “Chester Crocker”, a young man who knew all about international politics when some of us wondered... “John Wayne, Ingrid, Ou Wolf, What you have, Ou Sievertsen, Ouma Mageu, Fungununa, Ou Blank, Ou Rawe, Ou De Velliers, Ihea Shirii, Ou B, Swahili, Wele, Tata, Ou Sigi, Janke, Kratz, Om Zocks, Never die, Kalieks, Ou Ngubi, Ou Kerie, a Man who's vision was beyond our time and who touched the lives of so many, Don Lem, meneer klein Bernard, Om College, Imbili, Vratie, Ousie and Aunt so and so and Sie so and so, Me so and so. Then there is..., Seekat – a Man who lived the life of a one who roams the streets and died a millionaire”. These names never die once given and they all have a story behind each of them... go on just ask the Buchters, don't be shy. The wind i.e. the Souwi also influences personalities of the Buchter. It causes you to take sharp focus because you are generally looking down to keep the sand out of your eyes. You look up, take focus quickly before looking down again and on you go. It helps you to mind your own business since talking becomes difficult and all you can do is provide comradeship to whoever is walking with you. After the wind, we have calm days and through the fog, we find the sun; in short the Bucht has all four seasons in one day! There is peace in knowing that one dramatic element ultimately brings a peaceful one. Ours is an ancient landscape with a rich, mixed cultural history. It is the one place where the Slogan “One Namibia, One Nation” really rings true! The political history of the Bucht is long and vibrant, it is of a people who stood as one. Luderitz was the last town to receive segregation. There is a church in Luderitz that went right through the dark days of our past which refused to be split based on language to this day. The spirit of comradeship amongst the Buchters and the will for fun and sharing extends even to those Buchters who are no longer in the Bucht today. Buchters have Buchters special days in other towns. Every year Buchters arrange for Buchter fun days when all those connected to the Bucht meet to have fun and catch up on the news from the Bucht! In the Bucht there is no black, no white, no coloured or whatever colour or tribal name you want to label people with. There are only people and they are all Buchters. This is a true embrace of and embodiment of a “One Namibia, One Nation”! This has resulted in cross-cultural relations on a grand scale and the implications of those relations have led to cross-tribal and cultural marriages. Visitors must take a trip to Kolmanskop, into the Sperrgebiet, the wild horses at Aus, a trip around the peninsula to see Diaz point, or a katamaran cruise on the sea passing a deserted whaling station right to Halifax Island which is occupied by penguins. If you visit us during the Crayfish Festival, you'll experience the best of the Buchter food and spirit! There are no traffic lights in Lüderitz, we maintain the feeling of freedom, of doing our own thing the Buchter way! Indeed the slogan rings true “dis 'n lekker lewe, tussen die Bucht se krewe!” So, “check you in the Bucht!” What a spirit, what a people... Sem T. Shikongo (Buchter), Windhoek