Health and social services minister Esperance Luvindao has hit back at allegations involving her brother’s law firm, saying claims against her siblings should not be treated as fact without evidence.
Luvindao was responding to questions in the National Assembly on Thursday from Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Kalimbo Iipumbu over an article published last year.
The article alleges Luvindao used her brother’s law firm and government funds to pay for a private lawyer for a defamation lawsuit against the Windhoek Observer.
She dismissed the allegations as unfounded, saying they remain allegations until evidence is produced.
Luvindao said her position as minister does not prevent questions being asked about her personal relationships, including her siblings, friends or boyfriend.
However, she said the professions and businesses of her siblings should not be presented as evidence of wrongdoing or interference in the ministry’s operations.
“I have a sibling that is in finance, another one who is a lawyer, [another in the] diamond industry in public relations, and then another one who is a pharmacist,” she said.
She added that her sibling, who is a pharmacist, qualified long before she became a doctor.
“I wish to clarify and ask that we should not try to request incorrect information for the purposes of seeking justice,” Luvindao said.
She maintained that allegations should be supported by facts and evidence before they are treated as wrongdoing.
