Another Sam Nujoma health rumour denied

NEWS of former President Sam Nujoma falling ill and having to be admitted to a hospital in Walvis Bay was shrugged off as ‘inflated fables’ yesterday.

In fact eyewitnesses in the harbour town said he looked ‘great’.Nujoma was at the coast for the past week, where he participated in some events and met with several people on business and personal levels.He was in Walvis Bay too for a couple of days and yesterday The Namibian got tipped off that the former President allegedly suffered a setback in his health and had to be admitted to hospital. He was then allegedly transferred to a private home where he could get medical attention in privacy and comfort.At least two sources said Nujoma was seen by a private doctor on Wednesday afternoon for food poisoning.A reliable source and a long-time associate of Nujoma in Walvis Bay told The Namibian that all these stories were ‘inflated fables’.’He was here to do some business and meet some people, but he was healthy and happy. Yes, he may have gone to the hospital for a quick check-up, but you must understand my friend, we all are not getting any younger. We get older, and looking after our health becomes more important. There may have been something very minor that Nujoma had checked, but there was nothing big like a heart attack, or stroke or anything like that. In fact, he is already nearly back in Windhoek again and doing fine,’ the source said yesterday.Workers near the house where Nujoma went for lunch on Wednesday were surprised when The Namibian approached them about the rumours.’What? He definitely did not look sick when he got out of his car to go into the house,’ one told the newspaper.Nujoma and his entourage of staff and bodyguards arrived at the home of local businessman and long-time associate of Nujoma, Louis Bastos, at around 14h00 on Wednesday.’He looked great, and was all smiles. Even his people with him were very friendly. There were no ambulances or anything that indicated there were health problems,’ another eyewitness said.’Seeing our founding father here made us very happy. Even more so because he looked so happy with big smiles. It’s good when he comes to Walvis Bay.’Nujoma allegedly left Bastos’s home two and a half hours later, at 16h30.’We didn’t notice him coming back, and we’re also not sure if he maybe stayed somewhere else in Walvis Bay till today (Thursday) before going back to Windhoek,’ according to the witness. ‘It would have been a tragedy though if something was the matter with him.’Sources said Nujoma fell sick later in the afternoon and was treated for food poisoning by a private doctor.By yesterday afternoon, sources said, he was on his way back to Windhoek, with expectations that he will attend the opening of the Swapo Electoral College today.