Day: July 16, 2024

WINDHOEK: Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula has been pardoned as a witness in a defamation matter involving prominent businessman Shapwa Kanyama.

Kanyama and his wife, Beata Kanyama, are suing a northern-based former nurse, Mathilde Kadhikwa, after she allegedly insinuated that the couple funded their multimillion-dollar wedding with public funds in May 2022. Kanyama also claims Kadhikwa insinuated he committed crimes and that he is unlawfully pocketing government money.

Kadhikwa reportedly made the insinuations in a WhatsApp audio that was since shared on Facebook and Instagram.

Appearing before Judge Beatrix de Jager on Tuesday, Shangula was informed that he is no longer needed as a witness in the matter. He and the health ministry’s Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, were initially subpoenaed and ordered to testify in Kadhikwa’s defense, in connection with procurement contracts between the ministry and companies belonging to Kanyama.

The couple is demanding payment amounting to N.
dollars 200 000 each from Kadhikwa. They are further demanding a retraction and an apology from her. Kanyama said in court papers that he makes a living through farming, supplying medical equipment and consumables, and pharmaceutical products such as medicines to the private sector and the Namibian government.

According to him, he has been supplying such pharmaceutical products through public procurement tenders since 2016, through a pharmaceutical factory he owns.

He further confirmed that their wedding cost them about N.dollars 10 million.

Nangombe has since been ordered to appear in court on Wednesday morning for the commencement of trial.

The ministry is represented by the Attorney General’s Office. Kadhikwa’s lawyer, Henry Shimutwikeni has since indicated that the necessary documents relating to procurement contracts from the ministry will be provided and filed by Wednesday, in time for the trial.

‘After deliberations with the witnesses’ representatives, we have decided it is not necessary to call t
he minister as a witness but we will confine our case to the Executive Director. The ministry has also indicated that they will inquire with procurement to get the documents we require. We will also provide the plaintiff with the documents on which the Executive Director is going to testify,’ Shimutwikeni said.

Kadhikwa has since argued that the comments she made were fair and in the interest of the public.

‘The content of the statement was a fair criticism of the government’s procurement policies and public expenditure,’ she said in court documents.

Kanyama and his wife are represented by Advocate Raymond Heathcote on instructions of Sisa Namandje.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) has confirmed the death of five people, who died in a motor vehicle accident between Oshivelo and Tsumeb in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

NamPol Spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, said the accident happened around 01h00 when the driver of a White Nissan traveling from Walvisbay to Ondangwa, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn.

‘The vehicle veered off the road and overturned killing four of its eight occupants instantly and another who died in hospital,’ she said. Three other occupants were injured and taken to the Tsumeb State Hospital for medical attention.

Shikwambi said the deceased persons have since been identified as 58-year-old Magdalena Ruanda, the driver, Martha Samuel (47), Reinhold Rannei Megameno Ankambo (18), Elizabeth Ruanda (05), and Bravo Simson (12).

The deceased bodies were taken to Omuthiya police mortuary and their next of kin have been informed of their deaths.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has received a N.dollars 20 million mobile intensive care unit (ICU) for the Walvis Bay State Hospital, donated by the United States Embassy on Monday.

The five-bed self-sufficient structure is designed to provide the ministry with the ability to not only serve the local population of the harbour town, but also deploy the ICU to other locations in response to a possible medical crisis.

It is stocked with N.dollars 600 000 worth of medicine to ensure the ICU is ready for operations.

In his acceptance speech, MoHSS Executive Director Ben Nangombe emphasised the importance of well- equipped and functional ICU facilities, adding that they are the backbone of any hospital.

He said the facility will not only bolster the ministry’s response to the current health challenges, but will also serve as a vital resource to address and effectively respond to medical and health emergencies whenever they occur.

‘Through the deployment of this facility, three key areas in
healthcare services will be strengthened. These include the critical role of ICU infrastructure; a skilled and capacitated health workforce, and the comprehensive training for our future medical professionals,’ he expressed.

In her remarks, US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Tiffany Miller stated that by partnering with Namibia to enhance critical baseline medical infrastructure, the country enhances the nation’s health security.

‘It also enables Namibia to respond to potential future pandemics as well as health emergencies and natural disasters, which positively affects the region as a whole,’ she noted.

The donation in Walvis Bay is part of a larger medical infrastructure donation package valued at over N.dollars 130 million that will be spread across four regions in Namibia, which is the largest donation by the US Department of Defence’s Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster and Civic Aid Programme to Namibia since its independence and signifies the commitment of the American people to help ensure every Namibi
an has access to medical care.

A team of Namibian personnel including doctors and nurses from the MoHSS were trained in all aspects of the system set up as well as the individual pieces of medical equipment within the ICU.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency