Sioka under fire
National Unity Democratic Organisation's (Nudo's) secretary general Josef Kauandenge has raised urgent concerns regarding an investigation into the tragic deaths of 16 family members in the Kavango East Region last year.
Their deaths in Kayova village have been attributed to suspected food poisoning.
During the tabling of the national budget at the National Assembly, Kauandenge fired several questions at gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare minister Doreen Sioka, specifically about laboratory tests conducted last year to determine the cause of the death of the family.
“What happened to the laboratory test carried out last year to determine the cause of death of the 15 family members who died of poisoning last year? When will this report be made public for us to know why the 15 family members died?” he asked.
He added that the "silence from your ministry to release that report is an act of concealment. The immediate family of the deceased persons and the nation at large need to know.”
Not fit for human consumption
Kauandenge said there are two schools of thought when it comes to the issue of food poisoning.
“One is that this can occur when someone eats leftover food where bacteria have grown. This causes diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an electrolyte imbalance, which can result in death," he explained.
"The other reason could be that the food or maize meal is expired and not fit for human consumption; however, hunger drove the family to eat it anyway because they were starving,” he added.
“It is high time this report be made public for the departed souls to rest in peace eventually," the Nudo SG said.
‘How do you sleep at night?’
Kauandenge further questioned whether Sioka and her ministry had taken steps to investigate the matter on the ground and whether action had been taken to address widespread hunger in the region.
"In terms of your ministry’s mandate, as a minister, have you undertaken familiarisation visits to the two regions to ascertain the underlying reasons for why some residents there eat expired food? After the deaths of the 15 family members last year, what mitigating measures has your ministry taken to prevent another catastrophic event in the future?”
Kauandenge asked.
"How do you sleep at night, knowing that Namibians are dying every year because of hunger?" Kauandenge urged Sioka to ensure that allocated funds are efficiently utilised to address poverty-related challenges in the Kavango regions.
More death
He also asked whether the minister was aware of the recent deaths of two children – also due to suspected food poisoning – in the Kavango Region, adding, "Or will you wait for another two to die of the same cause before intervening?
“Will you agree with me that the poverty level in the two Kavango regions is out of proportion compared to other parts of the country and needs drastic intervention from your ministry?” he asked.
Kauandenge highlighted the need for a comprehensive strategy to address poverty, demanding a clear outline of the ministry's plans and actions to alleviate poverty in the Kavango regions.
Sioka and the ministry's executive director, Martha Mbombo, could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
[email protected]
Their deaths in Kayova village have been attributed to suspected food poisoning.
During the tabling of the national budget at the National Assembly, Kauandenge fired several questions at gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare minister Doreen Sioka, specifically about laboratory tests conducted last year to determine the cause of the death of the family.
“What happened to the laboratory test carried out last year to determine the cause of death of the 15 family members who died of poisoning last year? When will this report be made public for us to know why the 15 family members died?” he asked.
He added that the "silence from your ministry to release that report is an act of concealment. The immediate family of the deceased persons and the nation at large need to know.”
Not fit for human consumption
Kauandenge said there are two schools of thought when it comes to the issue of food poisoning.
“One is that this can occur when someone eats leftover food where bacteria have grown. This causes diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and an electrolyte imbalance, which can result in death," he explained.
"The other reason could be that the food or maize meal is expired and not fit for human consumption; however, hunger drove the family to eat it anyway because they were starving,” he added.
“It is high time this report be made public for the departed souls to rest in peace eventually," the Nudo SG said.
‘How do you sleep at night?’
Kauandenge further questioned whether Sioka and her ministry had taken steps to investigate the matter on the ground and whether action had been taken to address widespread hunger in the region.
"In terms of your ministry’s mandate, as a minister, have you undertaken familiarisation visits to the two regions to ascertain the underlying reasons for why some residents there eat expired food? After the deaths of the 15 family members last year, what mitigating measures has your ministry taken to prevent another catastrophic event in the future?”
Kauandenge asked.
"How do you sleep at night, knowing that Namibians are dying every year because of hunger?" Kauandenge urged Sioka to ensure that allocated funds are efficiently utilised to address poverty-related challenges in the Kavango regions.
More death
He also asked whether the minister was aware of the recent deaths of two children – also due to suspected food poisoning – in the Kavango Region, adding, "Or will you wait for another two to die of the same cause before intervening?
“Will you agree with me that the poverty level in the two Kavango regions is out of proportion compared to other parts of the country and needs drastic intervention from your ministry?” he asked.
Kauandenge highlighted the need for a comprehensive strategy to address poverty, demanding a clear outline of the ministry's plans and actions to alleviate poverty in the Kavango regions.
Sioka and the ministry's executive director, Martha Mbombo, could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
[email protected]
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