Moving tribute to Davin sisters

WINDHOEK – Thousands of people packed the Dutch Reformed Church in Eros yesterday to pay their last respects to sporting sisters Janine and Suzelle Davin before their cremation on the same day.

Janine and Suzelle died in a head-on collision near Swakopmund on Friday. They were both excellent tennis and hockey players and were well known for their sporting prowess in Namibia and South Africa.Friends, family, sportsmen and women, sports administrators and business asso-ciates of their parents sat through an emotional two-hour church service led by Pastor Fourie van den Berg.The girls’ younger sister, Annalien, delivered a tearful tribute to her sisters, followed by a passionate homage by Suzelle’s boyfriend, Gere Marais, who escaped from the accident with slight injuries.More moving speeches of acknowledgements and appreciation were delivered by friends.Pastor van den Berg focused his sermon on the hope of life after death, saying people should marvel at life and know that life does not end with death.After the church service, the girls’ distraught father, Herman Davin, mother Jeanine Davin and sister Anna-lien let loose two white doves.Mourners then laid flowers on the two coffins as they passed through a guard of honour.Some people Nampa spoke to after the church service were still in shock over the girls’ death.The girls’ nanny of 15 years, Aloisia Diamond, was very sad, saying they were like her own children.She met them when they were three and four years old and had loved and cared for them throughout their lives.”They were wonderful children with big hearts and well disciplined.They treated me and my family very well and I will miss them always.They were never shy to give me a hug and always wanted to talk and catch up, especially when they have been away from home,” Diamond said.Diamond’s daughter, young sprinting sensation Marilyn Diamond, said life would never be the same again without the Davin sisters.”They supported me in my athletics and always came to watch me run,” she said.NampaThey were both excellent tennis and hockey players and were well known for their sporting prowess in Namibia and South Africa.Friends, family, sportsmen and women, sports administrators and business asso-ciates of their parents sat through an emotional two-hour church service led by Pastor Fourie van den Berg.The girls’ younger sister, Annalien, delivered a tearful tribute to her sisters, followed by a passionate homage by Suzelle’s boyfriend, Gere Marais, who escaped from the accident with slight injuries.More moving speeches of acknowledgements and appreciation were delivered by friends.Pastor van den Berg focused his sermon on the hope of life after death, saying people should marvel at life and know that life does not end with death.After the church service, the girls’ distraught father, Herman Davin, mother Jeanine Davin and sister Anna-lien let loose two white doves.Mourners then laid flowers on the two coffins as they passed through a guard of honour.Some people Nampa spoke to after the church service were still in shock over the girls’ death.The girls’ nanny of 15 years, Aloisia Diamond, was very sad, saying they were like her own children.She met them when they were three and four years old and had loved and cared for them throughout their lives.”They were wonderful children with big hearts and well disciplined.They treated me and my family very well and I will miss them always.They were never shy to give me a hug and always wanted to talk and catch up, especially when they have been away from home,” Diamond said.Diamond’s daughter, young sprinting sensation Marilyn Diamond, said life would never be the same again without the Davin sisters.”They supported me in my athletics and always came to watch me run,” she said.Nampa