Andrew Kathindi
Namibian medical students in Cuba are accusing the Namibian Embassy in that country of “hijacking” a plane meant to deliver parcels to the students for its own benefits.
This comes after a South African Airways plane on Friday 3 July left from Johannesburg to Havana following the request of Namibian students in Cuba for parcels from their relatives in an a believed difficult situation in Cuba. The items were, however, returned to the Ministry of Health and Social Services’ (MoHSS) storage facility “due to limited space”.
A Namibian student in Cuba told the Windhoek Observer that, “Students here in Cuba discovered that there is a South African plane on the move to come pick up some of their graduates. The Students Committee tipped off the Embassy of Namibia in Havana, MoHSS, as well as Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO), for them to talk to the South African Government, for our bags to come, because they already disappointed us on the 12th of June by totally calling off the plane which was supposed to come.”
The students say after their parents in Namibia delivered the parcels to the health ministry, but accused the Namibian Ambassador to Cuba, Samuel /Gôagoseb, of taking advantage of their hard work and effort, using the opportunity to charter the plane. The student further claimed that when the plane landed in Cuba, they received a notice from the embassy stating that, “Most bags didn’t make it to Cuba because the diplomatic cargo had to be prioritized for obvious reasons.”
The students are also accusing the embassy of hijacking the plane to only carry certain individual’s goods of those with close relationships with the Ambassador, some being children of the diplomats in Cuba. “Most bags didn’t make it, meaning the embassy has guts to make favours of certain individuals, who have very close relationships with the ambassador. They got their bags, and they’re very few less than 10, but we’re over 250 students in Cuba who still need toothpaste and pads and shower gels. We feel betrayed by the Embassy, by prioritizing their cargo over us.”
Acting Executive Director in the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, (MIRCO), Rebecca Iyambo, stated that upon Namibia’s request, South Africa agreed to take Ambassador Samuel /Gôagoseb, as well as five stranded Cuban nationals and cargo for the Namibian Embassy and essential goods for Namibian students studying in Cuba. “Subsequently, MIRCO alerted the line ministries that fund students studying in Cuba to inform the parents of students in Cuba to prepare parcels with needed goods, which could be taken along. Regrettably, due to inadequate space on the aforesaid South African charter flight, many students’ parcels could not be accommodated.
Another medical student in Cuba shot down the claims stating, “It’s pure lies. We suggested the SA plane to them. Our parents helped us push it through. It came only with the diplomatic cargo, plus some parcel of students that have association with him and his family or any other personnel at the embassy.” Meanwhile, /Gôagoseb refuted the students’ allegations of organizing the flight, saying it was the South Africa government, in collaboration with the Namibian authorities, who jointly coordinated to successfully repatriate him, after being stranded in Namibia due to COVID-19, to the Caribbean nation.
“Allegations that few of our students in Cuba have received their bags are not true and unsubstantiated. The Mission, in conjunction with the entire Namibian Government remains seized with the matter, and will continue to liaise with all relevant stakeholders such as line Ministries and South African Airways, in order to find a suitable solution of transporting the students´ bulk cargo of essential goods to Cuba as soon as possible,” he said.
