A 52-year-old resident of Gcigco village in the Kavango West Region is appealing for assistance to secure national documents for his 97-year-old mentally challenged mother.

This will allow her to access proper medical care and an old-age grant.

Christine Kapako migrated to Namibia from Angola in 1972 and settled in the Ncuncuni Constituency. 

She spent most of her life as a subsistence farmer and managed to support her family through farming.

Her health deteriorated in old age. She now requires regular medical attention, but accessing services is difficult. 

The family travels 15 km to the Ncaute clinic and 18 km to the Gcwatjinga clinic. When referred, they must make the 65km journey to Rundu.

Before her condition worsened, the family walked to the clinics, but now they rely on a donkey cart to take her for check-ups, and when only medication needs to be collected, her son makes the trip.

"She only has a baptism certificate; she never received the South African documentation. We have struggled for so long trying to find her national documents. They took her fingerprints once, and at other times they sent us to the traditional authority and the headman. We have been to so many offices, but we failed," said son Johannes Ihemba. 

Ihemba is unemployed. The family survives on farming, piece jobs and the sale of traditional brew.

Ihemba said obtaining national documents for his mother would enable her to access an old age grant, and it would help cover transport costs to health facilities and support her daily upkeep.

"We just need the government to assist my mother in getting her national documents. If she passes away without them, we will suffer because we don't have the money to handle the legal struggles. We would have to fight for her documents while her body is still in the mortuary just so they can release her for a decent burial."

The Ncuncuni Constituency Councillor Michael Naiteta confirmed that his office has made several attempts to assist Kapako but was informed that she is considered stateless. He noted that his office is awaiting direction from Parliament on how to resolve cases of stateless persons.

In the meantime, the councillor's office will work to bring water services closer to Kapako's homestead.

Contact was made with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, but no comment was received.