Staff Reporter
JOEL Tjombe, a Namibian man, is proceeding with a legal case wherein he is suing the Ministry of Health and Social Services and two other ministries for negligence, after his mother’s body had been kept in a faulty Okahandja State mortuary, leading to the decomposition of her corpse.
The family, which had initially in February 2025 demanded about N$20 million from the government, has now revised its claim down to N$350 000.00, and the case appeared before High Court judge Beatrix de Jagger on 31 March 2026 for a case management conference.
Tjombe alleges that on 11 December 2024, the deceased, Erika Tjombe, who is his biological mother, was declared dead upon arrival at the Okahandja State Hospital.
“Upon her death, the Plaintiff took all reasonable steps to ensure that his late mother’s corpse would be properly and respectfully handled and transported to the appropriate state mortuary. Despite this, the Plaintiff experienced a series of traumatic events due to the negligent and unlawful conduct of employees and/or agents of the Defendants,” Cloe Brandt, Joel’s legal representative, said.
Brandt further noted that members of the Namibian Police, acting under authority, delayed for longer than an hour before transporting the corpse to the state mortuary in Okahandja on 11 December 2024.
“On 12 and 13 December 2024, the Plaintiff was denied access to the mortuary despite repeated and reasonable requests to view the corpse and ensure it was being properly handled. On 17 December 2024, the Plaintiff and other relatives went to the Okahandja State mortuary to conduct customary rituals, traditional adherence, and to prepare the body for memorial service and funeral proceedings, and despite first being denied access, they were eventually allowed in. The Plaintiff was informed that the mortuary was in a state of disrepair and that the corpse had been stored in a dysfunctional facility at the state hospital, which had resulted in decomposition,” Brandt said.
She added that as a result, Joel and his family were exposed to the traumatic and horrifying sight of the decomposed and unrecognisable corpse of the deceased, which had become swollen, discoloured, and severely disfigured.
“The Plaintiff accordingly claims general damages in the amount of N$350,000.00 for emotional and psychological trauma, loss of dignity, and mental distress arising from the Defendants’ conduct,” Brandt said.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Contributed
