Police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga yesterday confirmed that a man who tested positive for Covid-19 sneaked into the country illegally from South Africa with the help of a police officer and another man employed by a Lüderitz-based company.
The 35-year-old, who is Namibian-born and also holds South African passport, illegally crossed into the country on 12 June via the Orange River.
“It is true this individual is a South African passport holder but is a Namibian by descent because he speaks fluent Oshiwambo. He was abetted by some citizens from South Africa and Namibians to cross the river illegally into the country,” an angry Ndeitunga revealed yesterday.
Upon arrival into Namibia, Ndeitunga said a police officer as well as a man employed as a general manager at Lüderitz, further assisted the man. Ndeitunga said these two accomplices help transport this person from Noordoewer to reach Windhoek. New Era has been reliably informed that the patient paid a bribe to the two accomplices to help him cross illegally and reach Windhoek. When he arrived in Windhoek,
he was allegedly hidden in a house in Rocky Crest until the police arrested him over the weekend.
“He mingled with other citizens and he was being handled by police officers including regional commanders and was taken to the Hosea Kutako International Airport police holding cells in an isolated cell. He was resisting to be tested. Everyone who had contact with him will go in an isolation facility,” the police chief said.
For the police officer and the general manager, Ndeitunga said they would be criminally charged for abetting the illegal crossing into the country. They also face additional charges of bribery if investigations confirm that they were indeed bribed by the patient. Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said the patient was taken into a quarantine facility on Sunday.
“A specimen was taken from him for testing. The results showed positive for Covid-19. He is asymptomatic and his condition is satisfactory. Contact tracing has commenced,” Shangula said. Ndeitunga warned all those assisting people to cross into Namibia illegally to desist from doing so or face the wrath of the law. He said these people should be charged criminally, as they are risking the lives of Namibians. “It is so disgusting that some Namibians in high positions of big companies can do such things. The police should be vigilant to curtail these types of people who are helping those coming illegally into our country. We are going to strengthen our borders. We will work with our colleagues in South Africa,” he reacted. Namibia has 34 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 18 recoveries and 16 active cases.