Unceremonious send-off for Kavango East's first Covid victim

Unceremonious send-off for Kavango East's first Covid victimOnly two relatives attend funeral Kavango East's first Covid victim, a retired NDF soldier, was buried at the Sarasungu cemetery in Rundu yesterday. KENYA KAMBOWE

RUNDU



Only two family members attended the burial of Kavango East's first Covid-19 death at Rundu yesterday.

Grief filled the air, in part because of the sad nature of the occasion, as current health protocols prevent huge crowds at funerals.

The pensioner, a retired Namibian Defence Force (NDF) soldier, was buried at the Sarasungu cemetery in Rundu.

Details were still sketchy at the time of going to print as the health ministry was yet to include the case in the daily Covid-19 update.

However, Namibian Sun was reliably informed that the man died six days before the burial, because it was only established much later that he had Covid-19.



The horror and pain

Strict health protocols were observed as only the family and health officials were allowed to be near the site while the media was advised to be 50 metres from the grave.

Apart from witnessing the hospital's mortuary staff who were suited up in personal protective equipment (PPE) being in a hurry to finish the process, the two family members had to endure seeing their relative's coffin placed underground and the grave filled by an excavator truck.

In this part of the country, filling of grave is usually conducted by family members with spades while mourners sing hymns, something which constitutes a proper send-off. The deceased is survived by five children and his wife. None of them were present at the burial site.

Though the deceased lived at Rundu, he was born and raised at Outapi in the Omusati Region. It is understood the family wanted him buried in Omusati but due to strict Covid-19 health protocol, this could not happen.

Remains of Covid-19 victims may only be transported if cremated.

The family also bemoaned the fact that they could not view the body, as is tradition.

This means that other family members will only be able to witness the burial from the video recordings which were taken by the two.

One of the two family members at the burial was a younger brother of the deceased who could hardly respond to questions being asked by the media apart from indicating that it was the first time he visited Rundu.



Governor's statement

Prior to the burial, Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo called a media conference at which he announced the first Covid-19 death in the region and used the opportunity to call on residents to adhere to the preventive measures as advised by government.

“Remember the virus does not move, people move [it],” Wakudumo said.

Rundu had 16 confirmed positive Covid-19 cases yesterday afternoon.