‘My home is completely destroyed’

"MY house is completely destroyed, and my heart is shattered."

These are the words of Gotfried Shisuwo (63), the grandfather of 14 of the members of one family who died from suspected food poisoning at Kayova village.

"I have never seen something like this in my entire life. Is it vengeance or some form of jealousy? At this moment, my heart is shattered.

"I don't know whether to bury myself or fly into the sky. My house is completely destroyed," he says.

Shisuwo has to soldier on after losing 14 grandchildren since the weekend after they are suspected to have consumed contaminated porridge.

A total of 15 people died after eating porridge at the village in the Kavango East region during the weekend.

Some 20 family members aged between two and 33 years allegedly consumed the porridge made from flour and dried, pounded, fermented sediment from a homemade beverage locally known as mundevere.

Shisuwo says he was not at home when his grandchildren went to a nearby shebeen to collect the residue from the beverage after harvesting reeds, which they normally exchange for food.

"This feels like a dream. But those things were bought by someone. How can it be that everyone who ate it is dead?" he asks.

INVESTIGATION

The government has dispatched a team of experts to investigate the incident, which has been described by authorities as the worst case of poisoning in the country's history.

Mourners, including family members and people from surrounding villages, flocked to the homestead this week during The Namibian's visit.

"I have lost 14 grandchildren, and I don't know how I will bury them with the little pension grant we get. Will I really afford all 14 coffins?

"Where will I get 14 coffins? I can't even provide any food for those who come to give us a shoulder to cry on.

"That's why I am pleading with anyone who can to help us," he said.

Shishuwo, a retired teacher, said some of his grandchildren live with him and his wife, while others lived with their parents close by.

"If I was the president or chief, I would have given those people who gave my grandkids the residue, the same to eat and see what happens to them," he said.

"My heart is not at peace."

‘DEAD DUE TO POVERTY’

Kayova headman Herman Katura, who is also a member of the affected family, said he is shocked by the incident.

"This is a tragedy which I don't have words for to describe. I have never seen such things in my life in this village," he said.

"I think the government should keep an eye on us, and help us with this type of problem," he said.

"The people died because of poverty," he said.

Katura said Shisuwo struggles to feed his family, which survives by fishing and harvesting reeds.

"All I can ask from the government is to assist these people in burying their loved ones, and to speed up the drought-relief programme."

NOTHING NEW

Food poisoning cases are not new in the region.

Last March, a pensioner and her two sons died of suspected food poisoning at Muteke village.

They allegedly consumed a traditional brew, known as ipwera, which contained poison.

In 2018, a 37-year-old man died at home at Tara-tara village in the Ndiyona constituency after he and two other family members ate traditional vegetables, known as mutete, which was allegedly contaminated with a pesticide.

SAMPLES SENT TO SA

Rundu Intermediate Hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Jean Kubangu, yesterday said samples were taken from the victims and sent to South Africa for testing to determine what contaminated the porridge.

He said the victims’ livers and kidneys were damaged and that their lives could not be saved.

Kubango said 14 patients were transferred from Nyangana District Hospital.

Two died at the Ngangana hospital, while 12 died at Rundu.

One died upon arrival at the hospital's casualty department.

Kubangu said one of the remaining family members is in the high-care unit in a critical condition.

"I confirmed with our forensic department, and indeed so far this is the biggest number of deaths suspected to be from the ingestion of possible toxic material," national police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says.

She says investigations are ongoing.

Kavango East regional governor Bonifatius Wakudumo this week described the incident as a catastrophe.

"We have lost 15 precious lives due to alleged food poisoning …

"We are sharing in the sorrow of the family, and we came to inform the bereaved family that as a government we will do everything in our power to assist them with all related arrangements until we come to the burial," he said.

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