Namibian man's body brought home from UK for free after three months

Air Namibia repatriated the body of Bryan Hembapu, who died in the United Kingdom in March, back home free of charge. Photo: Air Namibia

Air Namibia repatriated the body of Bryan Hembapu, who died in the United Kingdom in March, back home free of charge. Photo: Air Namibia

Published Jun 5, 2020

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Rustenburg – The body of a 43-year-old man who died in the United Kingdom three months ago has been repatriated free of charge, Namibian media reported on Friday.

Bryan Hembapu died in March and his body has been stuck in the UK due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Air Namibia repatriated the body on Thursday along with other Namibian nationals who were stranded abroad, daily newspaper New Era reported.

Air Namibia spokesperson Twaku Kayofa confirmed to the state-run daily the repatriation of the body, along with another 127 Namibian nationals, from Frankfurt and London.

Kayofa said Air Namibia has obtained a licence to operate worldwide, enabling the airline to fly to countries it ordinarily did not previously fly to.

The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) reports that Air Namibia chartered the flight to London and Frankfurt on Monday to expatriate the locals after global airlines cancelled flights to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Four Botswana nationals who arrived on the flight would be escorted by the Namibian police to their country's border.

The passengers and crew members would undergo a 14-day quarantine under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

Health Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said they were all to be tested for Covid-19.

 "They will be tested upon arrival. If anyone tests positive, they will be taken to an isolation management facility. For those who will test negative, they will be quarantined for 14 days and before they are discharged, they must test negative again," he said.

Local newspaper Informanté reported that the Air Namibia flight also carried medical equipment collected from donors in Germany and Poland.

The relief materials consist of sanitiser gels, masks, plastic gloves and sterile nasopharyngeal viral swabs and transport media without swabs, donated by members of the Namibia Friends in Business Network as well as the German Development Cooperation Agency and the Robert Koch Institute.

African News Agency (ANA)

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