Maravi

KK falls ill in Namibia

KK falls ill in Namibia
By Amos Malupenga
Mon 15 Aug. 2011, 12:00 CAT

DR KENNETH Kaunda is unwell and has been admitted to a hospital in Windhoek, Namibia, his son Dr Waza revealed yesterday. And the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officers on Friday stopped Dr Waza from leaving Lusaka for Windhoek to see his father in hospital on the ground that those were instructions from Dr Kaunda’s family.

In an interview in Lusaka, Dr Waza said Dr Kaunda has been in hospital for the last six days and wondered why the Zambian government was not informing the public.

“Through you, I wish to inform the people of Zambia that Dr Kenneth Kaunda who is Zambia’s first president has been in hospital for close to a week now in Windhoek, Namibia,” Dr Waza said.

“His condition is now described as stable and they say he will be discharged anytime soon. I have been informed that Dr Kaunda had a viral infection although I do not have all the details.”

Dr Waza, who is a medical doctor, said his father’s condition was initially very bad.

“A few days ago, I got a report that Dr Kaunda was not able to talk and spent most of the time sleeping because of the medication he was taking. I was told that he was under sedation,” Dr Waza said. “In view of his age (87), I was very worried and decided to make arrangements to travel to Windhoek on Friday to see the old man. But when I arrived at the Lusaka International Airport, officials from Air Namibia refused to check me in, saying they had instructions from the Zambian security wing not to check me in. Later on, officers from the DEC arrived and said I would not be allowed to leave the country because those were instructions from my family. I was very shocked because DEC has nothing to do with my family matters. I was very upset and blasted them, I made a lot of noise and I must apologise to other passengers who felt inconvenienced. But people should understand that I can’t be stopped from seeing my father who is on a drip.”

Dr Waza, who is a member of the opposition Patriotic Front, said he was forced to return home from where he phoned State House to find out why DEC officers behaved in such a manner.

“I spoke to one of the presidential aides who told me that those were not their instructions,” Dr Waza said.

“But he told me that they had also heard that those were instructions from the family. I was told that my brother Kambarage and sister Catherine are the ones who issued the instructions. I am surprised because these two have not contacted me to tell me about this. In any case, I am the one who has closely lived with Dr Kaunda for the last ten years and understand his health very well because Kambarage and Catherine do not live in Zambia. And how does DEC come in this matter?”
Dr Waza said it was strange that Dr Kaunda was in hospital for close to one week and the Zambian government was silent about it.

“Dr Kaunda left Zambia about two weeks ago very fit and he is meant to remain in Namibia for a long time because he is working on his memoirs. Both the government of Namibia and Zambia are aware about this programme and are facilitating it. He left with my mother, all his security officers and all his domestic workers,” Dr Waza said.

“But the question is, why is the Zambian government not announcing to the public that Dr Kaunda is unwell and admitted to hospital in Windhoek since they facilitated his trip to Namibia and he is in the care of the government? Let’s serious be here. President Levy Mwanawasa died abroad and there was no inquest conducted so we don’t really know what happened or what killed him. Just last month, Dr Frederick Chiluba died and, again, no inquest was conducted. We are talking about the deaths of a sitting president and a former president. The conduct of an inquest is a standard procedure but it was not done. Why? You saw that even when Michael Jackson died, they conducted an inquest. And now they are stopping me from visiting my father. Why should I be stopped from visiting my father in hospital? Anyway, I am leaving today (yesterday). Let them stop me again! I am only happy that the old man is feeling better.”

And at exactly 12:55 hours yesterday, Dr Waza phoned saying he had been checked in and was waiting to board the plane to Namibia.

Meanwhile, Dr Kaunda’s granddaughter, Musata Kaunda, said she spoke to him yesterday afternoon and he was feeling much better.

“He’s recovering well though he’s still in hospital. I don’t know when he’ll be discharged,” said Musata.

Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, NAMIBIA

posted by MrK @ 1:14 PM