Disabled and alone

Ester Kamati OtjiwarongoGustav Kangandi made frequent trips between Namibia and bordering countries to transport goods during his career as a long-distance truck driver. This was until May 2000 when his truck overturned in South Africa in a road accident.Kangandi spent six weeks in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Bethlehem, South Africa, after which he had to face his new reality - a broken back and ribs which left him paralysed from the waist down.The father of five was transferred to Namibia in June of the same year and spent five more months in hospital before he was released.The humble face of his 10-year-old helper greets us at the entrance of his home in Otjiwarongo’s Ombili settlement and ushers us to a chair in the single room where Kangandi lives by himself. His home doesn’t have a toilet, and he has to make use of adult diapers.On 16 December 2019, he was admitted to Paramount Healthcare Centre and in May 2020, he was transferred to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital. While in hospital, Kangandi’s house was broken into twice.He recalled receiving a phone call from neighbours telling him the news. “I had to call the police from the hospital,” he said.All aloneKangandi lives alone in Otjiwarongo. His family is scattered between Kalkveld and Omaruru, and he said he cannot live with them due to the quality of health centres in these areas. He frequently has to visit the hospital, he explained.Although he does most things himself such as cooking and washing his clothes, he sometimes needs assistance.While he has been caring for himself for the past 20 years, he said his friends sometimes send their children to help him, like the 10-year-old who welcomed us, who dreams of becoming a lawyer.Please helpWhile the Social Security Commission covered his hospital bills, Kangandi said he often encounters financial difficulties. In 2011, he took out a loan to cater to expenses for his mother’s funeral. In 2013, he underwent a procedure at the central hospital, which he also had to borrow money for.He took out another N$15 000 loan to add to a sponsored amount, which assisted him in purchasing an electronic wheelchair worth N$78 000 in 2006.The chair now sits in the corner of the room, collecting dust after its joystick broke in August.Kangandi has since been forced to use a traditional wheelchair, and has appealed to the public to help him raise funds to repair his electronic wheelchair as well as build a fence around his home to deter thieves.The 58-year-old shared that he hopes to establish a small business such as a tuck shop so he can afford to pay a caregiver.For more information, call Kangandi at 081 605 1213. ester@myzone.com.na

Disabled and alone

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Namibian Sun 2026-05-27

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Disabled and alone

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Namibian Sun 2026-05-27

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