Foreign nurses threatened - Haufiku

Health minister Bernhard Haufiku has cautioned Namibians to stop making the lives of foreign nurses unbearable. According to him, some foreign nurses have reported receiving threats from members of the public, as well as health ministry staff. Haufiku said the ministry will not give into the demands and threats of Namibians who are calling for the employment contracts of foreign nurses to be terminated, so local nursing graduates can be employed. “We are handling the situation in a way not to create animosity and not to trigger any court cases. Those who are making themselves guilty of threatening nurses will face the consequences, such as disciplinary action,” Haufiku said. He added if they were to release foreign nurses then foreign doctors would also have to go, which will have an impact on the country's hospitals. Health permanent secretary Petronella Masabane said it is not clear whether the foreign nurses had received death threats. “The nurses reported that in some instances it was not limited to verbal threats but even body language. I was informed that in some cases the nurses also feel the environment in which they are working is not so conducive because of the attitude and remarks made by some Namibian nationals,” she said, while condemning the threats. Masabane said this must stop and that Namibians should not make foreign professionals uncomfortable, who are assisting the country. The threats follow local graduate nurses continuing to roam the streets, with government saying there is no money to employ them at state facilities. Recently a group of disgruntled local graduate nurses met with Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani. The leader of the group, Junias Shilunga, said if government does not address the issue they will take unspecified action. The more than 300 unemployed local nursing graduates have given the foreign nurses until 30 July to resign, to pave the way for Namibians to be employed by government through the health ministry.JEMIMA BEUKES

Foreign nurses threatened - Haufiku

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-03

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Foreign nurses threatened - Haufiku

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-03

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