Staff Reporter
A 19-YEAR-OLD boy, identified as Santiago Kuvare, passed away while on a school excursion near the mountains in Aus, in the //Kharas region.
According to Chief Inspector Theodore Kotungondo, the incident happened on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, at about 07:00 in the Aus district.
“It is alleged that the now deceased learner woke up on the morning of 4 February and did not complain of any discomfort as they arrived for a school tour at the Multi-Purpose Centre in Aus. When they were about to climb the mountain, he collapsed. The clinic staff was notified and immediately brought him to the clinic. The nurses tried to resuscitate him; however, unfortunately, there was no response, and he passed away,” Chief Inspector Kotungondo said.
He added that, according to the deceased’s health passport, he was asthmatic and had high blood pressure (BP) problems.
Kotungondo said that the body was transported from Lüderitz to Keetmanshoop for an autopsy to be conducted next week to determine the exact cause of death, and no foul play is suspected.
Regarding the death of the learner from Keetmanshoop JA Nel Senior Secondary School, the Executive Director of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Sanet Steenkamp, explained that the matter has been reported to her and that she has requested the regional director to provide her with a full report.
Steenkamp further urged that the matter be treated with the sensitivity it deserves out of respect for the grieving family and denied claims by those implying that the incident was sinister or due to negligence on the part of the Ministry of Education.
