Kavango East to clamp down on crowded funerals
Kenya Kambowe
RUNDU
Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo has sent out a stern warning to families dealing with burials in the region, saying the police and health officials’ presence will now be a prerequisite at memorial services and cemeteries to avoid overcrowding.
The current regulations limit gatherings to 10 people; however, funerals in the region continue to attract hundreds - something that is likely to spread Covid-19.
By Saturday, Namibia had recorded 73 164 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with at least 1 161 deaths.
Kavango East recorded 134 positive cases between Friday and Saturday.
In a telephonic interview at the weekend, Wakudumo expressed disappointment in the manner in which members of the public are ignoring Covid-19 protocols, saying as a leader he can no longer tolerate to see such behaviour as Covid-19 related cases and deaths are on the rise.
He said he recently had to involve law enforcement to attend to a situation where he observed a funeral that was overcrowded.
“The funerals we are not going to tolerate. If it’s the regulation, it is a regulation. Everybody must comply. If it happened today, I can tell you it is the first and the last time. Moving forward we [will inform] the police and health officials,” he said.
‘We are serious’
Wakudumo said families should take his call seriously in order to avoid an embarrassing situation at a memorial service or cemetery when the police will be forced to act decisively.
“My instruction is that police and a social worker from the ministry must go to the house of the deceased and tell the family that yes, our sincere condolences, but the health regulation protocol in terms of burials, these are the things in case you don’t know. We don’t want to embarrass you,” the governor said.
“If there is a memorial service, strictly 10 people and if [there are more] people, the police must go there and interrupt. It’s then only when our people will realise that we are serious.”
Wakudumo also called upon residents of the region to get vaccinated and urged people to avoid listening to anti-vaxxers who are “planting lies” on the effects of the vaccines.
[email protected]
RUNDU
Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo has sent out a stern warning to families dealing with burials in the region, saying the police and health officials’ presence will now be a prerequisite at memorial services and cemeteries to avoid overcrowding.
The current regulations limit gatherings to 10 people; however, funerals in the region continue to attract hundreds - something that is likely to spread Covid-19.
By Saturday, Namibia had recorded 73 164 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with at least 1 161 deaths.
Kavango East recorded 134 positive cases between Friday and Saturday.
In a telephonic interview at the weekend, Wakudumo expressed disappointment in the manner in which members of the public are ignoring Covid-19 protocols, saying as a leader he can no longer tolerate to see such behaviour as Covid-19 related cases and deaths are on the rise.
He said he recently had to involve law enforcement to attend to a situation where he observed a funeral that was overcrowded.
“The funerals we are not going to tolerate. If it’s the regulation, it is a regulation. Everybody must comply. If it happened today, I can tell you it is the first and the last time. Moving forward we [will inform] the police and health officials,” he said.
‘We are serious’
Wakudumo said families should take his call seriously in order to avoid an embarrassing situation at a memorial service or cemetery when the police will be forced to act decisively.
“My instruction is that police and a social worker from the ministry must go to the house of the deceased and tell the family that yes, our sincere condolences, but the health regulation protocol in terms of burials, these are the things in case you don’t know. We don’t want to embarrass you,” the governor said.
“If there is a memorial service, strictly 10 people and if [there are more] people, the police must go there and interrupt. It’s then only when our people will realise that we are serious.”
Wakudumo also called upon residents of the region to get vaccinated and urged people to avoid listening to anti-vaxxers who are “planting lies” on the effects of the vaccines.
[email protected]
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