Unam probes fire that gutted home of deceased lecturer

Ekning Shaanika

The University of Namibia (Unam) has committed to investigate the fire incident that broke out at the late Ekning Shaanika’s house, Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho said.

The late Shaanika was a lecturer at Unam’s Hifikepunye Pohamba campus at Ongwediva.

She took her own life last month on campus.

Her campus-based accommodation was gutted by fire about three weeks before her death.

Simon Namesho called now and acknowledged there is a minor error in his response to us last week regarding the late Ekning Shaanika’s house at Hifikepunye Pohamba campus in Ongwediva. The story was published online on Sunday.

He said in his response he meant to say there was no electricity at the late Shaanika’s house after the fire incident. He has requested that we add this ”there was no electricity at the late Shaanika’s house after the fire incident.”

Namesho said the cause of the fire is not known, as there was no electricity in the late Shaanika’s house.

He said after the fire incident at the late Shaanika’s house, she temporarily moved in with a friend, who was also a colleague.

“The house affected by the fire required a technical inspection of appliances for repair and safety purposes,” he said.

Namesho said the campus has been actively engaged in submitting reports and is in the process of evaluating the possibility of repairing the house through insurance.

His response came after claims that the deceased had requested for another campus-based accommodation, but the university did not provide the accommodation it.

Namesho said if there were additional accommodation requests or concerns, the university was not made aware of them.

“However, the university values its staff members and we would have addressed any such requests through the appropriate channels had they been brought to our attention,” he said

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