Windhoek: The Editors' Forum of Namibia (EFN) has expressed profound sadness at the passing of veteran broadcaster and cancer awareness advocate Lamech Mwanyangapo, highlighting his significant influence on the media, as well as the wider community. Mwanyangapo died at age 61 on 29 August 2026 after a brave fight against multiple myeloma.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Chairperson of the EFN, Toivo Ndjebela described Mwanyangapo as a notable Namibian broadcaster, media executive, and health advocate who impacted lives. "EFN has learnt with profound sadness of the passing of veteran broadcaster and cancer awareness advocate, Lamech Mwanyangapo - a highly respected senior cameraman who served the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) with distinction for many years before his retirement," Ndjebela said.
He said Mwanyangapo, through his camera, played a significant role in documenting Namibian people, events, and history, thereby enhancing the country's broadcasting and journalism sectors.
In addition to his media contributions, Mwanyangapo has emerged as a courageous advocate in the fight against cancer. Following his 2023 diagnosis of multiple myeloma, he transformed his personal struggle into a mission to raise awareness, promote early detection, and advocate for improved support for cancer patients.
EFN observed that through the Lamech Mwanyangapo Cancer Foundation, the respected cameraman provided hope and a voice to many facing the disease. "His passing is therefore not only a loss to his family and loved ones, but also to Namibia's media fraternity and the wider community he served with such commitment. The EFN extends its deepest condolences to the Mwanyangapo family, his friends, former colleagues at NBC, the cancer awareness community and all those whose lives he touched," Ndjebela said.
In April 2023, Mwanyangapo was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer impacting plasma cells. He relayed that initially, doctors estimated he had just seven weeks to live due to the aggressive tumours threatening his bones and nervous system. He underwent a comprehensive treatment plan, starting with localised radiation therapy and chemotherapy at the Windhoek Oncology Centre. Subsequently, he was transferred to Cape Town, South Africa, where he successfully received a bone marrow and stem cell transplant, returning to Namibia as a recovering survivor in early 2024.
Inspired by his survival and the financial difficulties faced by families affected by cancer, he established the Lamech Mwanyangapo Cancer Foundation. The foundation has advocated for a dedicated oncology centre in northern Namibia, for rural communities to have access to essential treatments without the need to travel to Windhoek. It also implements mobile screening clinics in villages to facilitate early symptom detection and improve survival rates, while raising funds to subsidise oncology medications and acquire specialised medical equipment, such as mammography machines, for under-resourced public hospitals.