The government will be covering the funeral costs of all 16 food poisoning victims in the Kavango East region.
The death toll among the members of one family who allegedly consumed the same porridge yesterday rose to 16.
A total of 24 family members at Kayova village in the Ndiyona constituency allegedly ate porridge made from the flour of mahangu millet residue from traditional beer, known as mundevere.
The incident took place on Saturday, when the victims were taken to Nyangana District Hospital presenting signs of food poisoning.
Acting Kavango East medical director Woitha Kapumburu this week said those who died were vomiting, had convulsions and experienced recurring hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels), as well as restlessness and loss of consciousness.
“Due to the seriousness of their conditions, 14 were transferred to the Rundu Intermediate Hospital,” he said.
The total number of people involved have been revised from the initial 18 to 24.
The youngest victim is a one-year-old baby and the eldest a 33-year-old woman who died at Rundu yesterday.
The Namibian Police have released a preliminary report disclosing the victims’ names.
They are Innocentia Shishugho (6), Lishaka Shishugho (12), Albertina Shishugho (6), Chisola Litwayi (9), Roswitha Mungamba (6), Rebecca Mungamba (7), Rosalia Shishugho (10), and Bertha Ruhepo Shishugho (33).
Gende Mushongo (3), Liyomokera Kamuyoyo (2), Mununga Shishugho (14), Petrus Shishugho (20), Gilbert Haushiku (16), Anton Litwayi Ndumba (7), Johannes Mushongo (3) and Liyomkela Matjayi (1) also died.
The remaining family members, Bernard Shishungho, Hamutenya Shishungho, Silvester Kambinda, Lisho Joseph Mushongo, and Alberthina Shishungo (27) are at Nyangana District Hospital in a stable condition.
Two two-year-old boys have been discharged, but are being kept in the care of the hospital at Ngangana.
The government, through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), has indicated it would cover the funeral costs of all the victims.
This is according to the executive director at the OPM, I-Ben Nashandi.
The government would also provide the bereaved family with food, Nashandi said.
“We have offered to provide assistance to the bereaved family in the form of providing the coffins and the burial costs the undertakers are going to charge us. […] It’s not a state funeral,” Nashandi said.
“Sincerest condolences and sympathies to the family over this shocking catastrophic event,” he said.
HUNGER TO BLAME
Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) spokesperson Teresia Hamurenge this week in a statement said: “We all know that the cause to this incident was hunger. This family comes from a heavily disadvantaged area, where it’s not easy to get food for the day.
“Incidents like this occur, because of the desperation to feed the family. When they see an opportunity to get food, they welcome it without carefully worrying about what could have been added to the food – especially when they trust the person who provides it.”
She said hunger was supposed to have been eliminated in a country which has been independent for 33 years.
“Our nation is too small to face such issues, while we have so many agricultural resources that can be used to feed our nation in all regions.
“We, the NEFF team, send our deepest condolences to the family affected by the food poisoning incident,” Hamurenge said.
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