Namibia mourns Dr. Hage Geingob
Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
PROVINCIAL memorial services in honour of the late former Namibian President Dr. Hage Geingob have started in the Southern African country.
In a statement, Namibia’s Information and Communication Technology Minister, Honourable Emma Theofelus said that the memorial service for the late President will be held on the 24th of February at Independence Stadium ahead of the burial on the 25th.
The people of Namibia will bid farewell to Dr Geingob through daily memorial services.
She said the daily services, which started this Monday, will be held at Sam Mujoma Stadium and the NAMCOL Centre in Katutura until the burial date.
Several leaders have paid tribute to the late Dr Geingob, describing him as a champion of democracy and a true Pan-Africanist.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana described the demise of Dr Geingob as a blow to the region and continent, while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he will always cherish the lessons on governance given to him by his elder brother President Geingob.
Vice President of Angola’s MPLA Luisa Damiao also sent her condolence message to Namibia while confirming President Joao Lourenco’s attendance at the state funeral.
Dr Geingob, who has been described as a unifier, Pan-Africanist, freedom fighter, a dedicated and humble servant of the people of Namibia, SADC, and Africa, died on the 4th of this month after battling cancer.
He was first sworn in as President in 2015 after serving in various top political positions since Namibia’s independence in 1990.
The late Namibian President lived in exile for 27 years, spending time in Botswana, the US, and the UK, where he studied for a PhD in politics and came back to Namibia in 1989, a year before the country gained independence.
