By Buhle Andisiwe Made and ‘Odidi Matai-Sigudla
Those in ‘deep mourning’ gathered at the Settlers Monument in Makhanda on 10 June to celebrate the life of Eusebius McKaiser. Silence filled the Guy Butler Theatre as mourners stood in respect while family members carried the coffin where Eusebius McKaiser lay to the stage – a place he had once received so many awards. “To do the memorial is one thing, but to do this is something totally different. This is where it becomes more real than ever before when you are about to lay the person to rest,” said Roger Kirkwood, the programme director.
Speakers from St Mary’s Primary, Graeme College, Rhodes University, the McKaiser family, the Stevens family, the community, Oliver Dickson, and Eusebius’ partner Nduduzo Nyanda took to the stage to say their last goodbyes to Eubie (pronounced as the letters U and B), as the broadcaster, political analyst, author, and podcaster was fondly known.
Photo: Buhle Andisiwe Made
“We knew him as Oubaas,” began Deon Hilpert, his cousin. “Eubie was his ‘Model C’ nickname. We knew that he was famous, but we didn’t know he was a rock star. But we will not miss the rock star. We will miss Oubaas,” said Hilpert.
Oliver Dickson, McKaiser’s mentee, spoke compassionately about the special person McKaiser had been in his life. He emphasised McKaiser’s attention, his incomparable involvement with the community and his outreach. Dickson mentioned that though McKaiser has passed on, he would cherish Eusebius’s effect on his life and career growth. Including their unforgettable lunch dates.
Though the atmosphere was mournful, a choir appeased the mourner’s sorrows with harmonious melodies. The collaborative choir of Rhodes Chamber Choir and Kwantu Community Choir, conducted by Kutlwano Kepadisa, sang several hymns, but one, in particular, was his best-loved, “God of the Mountain.” Friends shared a laugh at the irony of McKaiser, the agnostic, having a favourite hymn.
Former St Mary’s RC Primary School teacher Juliet Baartman told of how she saw Eusebius’ brilliance from such a young age. “I didn’t feel like I was his teacher. I was his facilitator,” she stated. She was proud to see the once reserved and shy boy in her class grow up and become great.
Scott Burnett, friend and former Rhodes debate partner, filled the theatre with laughter as he retold light-hearted jokes and stories of their escapades in Makhanda’s restaurants, the Rat and Parrot and The Vic, and the moments of singing to “One more time” until the doors closed. He described Eusebius as an oil painting, a work encapsulated with attention and beauty, all in the brilliance of the multifaceted and intellectual person he was.
Burnett went on to praise his friend by saying, “You brought the most amazing writing into our lives and as your friends, you brought us Nduduzo Nyanda.”
“We already know that Eubie was a superstar in the first 44 years of his life. Can you just imagine what this man could have done with a bit more time?” stated Burnett. “How many books were still locked up in him?” Kirkwood ventured further. “How many debates on different views? How many people will still be unchallenged by your sudden passing?”
Many spoke about the overconfident Eusebius but Nyanda said “we haven’t discussed a lot about the hard times he went through”. “He had a lot of those, and he didn’t show that to a lot of people. But when he did show it to you, I think everybody who was able to be a part of that space, welcomed it.”
Kate Stegeman, another Rhodes friend and debate partner, shared a moment she would never forget that shed light on his vulnerability when they were driving back from a talk Eusebius had about his book, ‘A Bantu in my Bathroom’.
Still shaking from the adrenaline rush he had from the talk, Eusebius took her hand and asked, “Babe, did I do ok?” Leaning into the mic, looking back at a portrait of her dear friend, “Yeah, my friend, you did more than ok,” Kate ended.
The service concluded when loved ones laid McKaiser to rest at the Waainek Cemetery. The funeral of Eusebius McKaiser allowed everyone to remember the revered man that he was and to take notes on how he brought joy and happiness to others through community, family, and public regeneration. We will forever remember him not only through his life but through his work and his books. He will live on.
“Sometimes we laugh not because what we read is humour as such but simply because we recognise ourselves” – Eusebius McKaiser.
