Photo Credit: Cricket South Africa
Northern Cape Cricket (NCC) mourns the passing of a Northern Cape all round sportsman, Mr. Rashart Alexander who passed away on 7 July 2021 in Pretoria.
Mr Alexander is the father of the CSM of NCC, Mr. Shaheed Alexander.
Boeta Rashart or “Dada” as he was affectionately known, started playing cricket and rugby at a very early age. The Alexander family is a huge sporting family in Kimberley. Boeta played cricket for the Burma Lads Cricket Club and rugby for the Arabian College Rugby Football Club, both these clubs being huge community clubs during the SACOS era. He went on to play provincial cricket and rugby for Griqualand West for many years. He made his debut for Griquas at rugby at the tender age of 19.
As was the case with most of the players of his era, they all became involved with administration at club and provincial level. It was administrators like Boeta Rashart with other greats like A.R. Abass, Baby Richards, E.M. Jinnah, Herby Rose, Bunny Hermanus, Jaap Kruger and others that instilled the discipline and respect at all levels of the game to the younger generation.
Many years later Boeta Rashart’s family home of 44 Aster Road Squarehill Park becoming the center of non-racial sport in this province. The house was used by the Griqualand West Rugby Football Union for team talks before the Provincial team walks to play provincial rugby at the AR Abass Stadium across the road. The Alexander family would also feed the players a pre-match meal and to this day an account has to be sent to the Union.
His home also served as a storeroom for the Khoi mats that club and provincial matches were played on at the Mosque Grounds and Eddie Williams Oval.
Mr. Alexander also bought a small bus and all the provincial teams, provincial school teams, rugby and cricket would travel in, no matter where the tournament was, either him or one of his brothers would drive – no cost – and took these players safely to their tournaments.
NCC extends its condolences to his wife Sabera and children Shaheed, Shahiema, Faizel. Ishaam, Mariam and their extended families.
Boeta Rashart was an exceptional sportsman and a very special human being. Rest softly “Dada”.
