Nandi-Ndaitwah won’t act against Luvindao without evidence – Hengari

Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari says president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will not take steps against newly appointed health minister Esperance Luvindao without binding evidence of her being unethical.

Some medical doctors have accused the new minister of health and social services of professional misconduct.

Hengari yesterday told The Namibian: “Allegations are allegations. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah doesn’t act or take decisions based on allegations and speculation, but on evidence.

“The president will act on the basis of charges and evidence.”

This comes after The Namibian last week reported that three Namibian medical professionals alerted the president to Luvindao’s controversial professional history.

This includes allegations of professional misconduct, which has prompted a formal complaint.

The complaint was lodged by Windhoek-based doctors, who wrote to the president last week.

Hengari said Nandi-Ndaitwah’s focus is Namibians’ development.

“President Nandi-Ndaitwah is entirely focused on the implementation of the mandate of advancing the developmental interests of the Namibian people,” he said.

Despite sources confirming that a case had been registered about Luvindao’s alleged misconduct last Wednesday, national police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi yesterday said she cannot confirm the case without the details of the complainants, the date the case was opened on, and the involved police station’s name.

“That way it will be easier to get confirmation, not by suspect name,” she said.

However, other police sources could not confirm the existence of the case.

Nandi-Ndaitwah appointed Luvindao (31) as minister of health and social services this month.
Sources say Luvindao’s former employer filed a formal complaint about questionable records of operations “that never took place”.

The Namibian also reported that Nandi-Ndaitwah was reviewing Luvindao’s appointment.

“She works on evidence. She requested the team to gather evidence,” a source has said.

Luvindao is known for delivering free online consultations to more than 44 000 patients from Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and Rwanda since 2019.

In 2022, she won Queen Elizabeth’s Commonwealth Points of Light award for delivering these free online consultations.

According to the Points of Light website, Luvindao started offering the sessions after working in northern Namibia and noticing the difficulties underprivileged citizens experienced in accessing healthcare, with many patients having to travel long distances of over 50km and waiting up to 10 hours to see a doctor.