Rustenburg – Namibia’s founding president, Sam Nujoma, may have contracted Covid-19 from one of his bodyguards, local media reported on Tuesday, citing his doctor.
Nujoma, 91, who was admitted to hospital on Sunday, was reportedly in a stable condition and was not in intensive care.
Daily newspaper The Namibian reported that his personal doctor, Tshali Ithete, had said Nujoma might have contracted the coronavirus from one of his bodyguards, who has since died.
Ithete told the paper that seven people who had been in close proximity to Nujoma have contracted the disease.
He explained that Nujoma had been hospitalised in order to receive the best treatment, despite his Covid-19 symptoms having subsided.
According to the Informante newspaper, Nujoma's wife, Kovambo , has tested negative for the virus. She has been temporarily moved out of the house due to the high number daily visitors.
President Hage Geingob has appealed for calm following Nujoma's admission in hospital.
"The founding president is receiving treatment in hospital, is in a stable condition and is showing encouraging signs of improvement,“ he said in a statement on Monday.
"I wish to reassure the Namibian people that there is no cause for concern at the moment. I appeal for calm and wish to assure that the Namibian public will be informed regularly on progress regarding the medical condition of the founding president.“
Nujoma served three terms as the first president of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005.
He was a founding member and the first president of the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation in 1960.
As leader of the national liberation movement, Nujoma played an important role in campaigning for Namibia's political independence from South African rule.
African News Agency (ANA)