Ongwediva
Two people are said to have died and seven others are in hospital after they ate rice served with stewed donkey meat at Onkani village in the Omusati Region. The deceased’s were identified as 81-year-old Malakia Teofilus and five-year-old Jesaya Nakathingo.
The others affected people are hospitalised at Oshikuku Roman Catholic Hospital. Spokesperson of the Police in Omusati Sergeant Anna Kunga confirmed the incident. According to Kunga, the boy, Nakathingo, is said to have died on his way to school on Friday and his body was only discovered the following day on Saturday. Malakia Teofilus’s body was discovered on Friday just outside the family house.
An inquest docket has since been opened, but Kunga could not shed further details of the case, pending the results of the post-mortem. “The cause of death is not known at present. We are waiting for the results of the post-mortem – only then will we be able to know the exact cause of death,” said Kunga.
Local sources in the know alleged that the family ate donkey meat and rice. New Era was told the donkey meat was bought from an informal butchery that sales donkey meat, which is regarded as a delicacy by some communities. Though donkeys are renowned for their endurance and are a popular mode of transport their meat is considered a delicacy.
In 2010, two people were also reported to have died while more than 15 people were hospitalised after they feasted on a donkey that died from sickness. The incident was reported at Okalumbu village in the Oshikoto Region.