'Fly free dude! - An ode to Garai Makaya

Dude! Where do I start? Wait, I need a soundtrack for this. Cue in, Sail by Awolnation. Let me start from the aircraft. On board the Atlas Angel at five kilometres above the ground during the Makgadikgadi Epic.

It was my last tandem skydive and I was attached to Corne Vorster, that dude who flew the extra large Botswana flag during BOT50 celebrations at the National Stadium and we were in the same load with you – my very last flight with you.

I remember how you casually checked out your altimeter and upon realising that the plane had reached the right altitude, you just prepared for the exit like it was all normal. In fact you actually caught a nap as the flight was going up while we were a bunch of scared souls praying that everything should be all right.

Editor's Comment
Bravo BDF for the first step addressing GBV

The statement, whilst some may say, comes a little bit too late, is timely as gender-based violence (GBV) continues to haunt the country. A week hardly passes without reports of a wife, a girlfriend or boyfriend being killed by their intimate partners. Just recently, a high-ranking officer stationed at Glen Valley Barracks reportedly murdered his wife and has so far managed to evade arrest. It is also alleged that another soldier murdered his...

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