Hage Geingob: Namibia’s president dies aged 82

Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has died on the age of 82 whereas receiving medical therapy at a hospital within the capital, Windhoek.

A veteran of the nation’s independence battle, Mr Geingob had been identified with most cancers and revealed the small print to the general public final month.

He died early on Sunday together with his spouse and youngsters by his facet, Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba introduced.

Namibia “has misplaced… a distinguished servant of the folks”, he stated.

According to the structure, Mr Mbumba will now act as president as there was lower than a yr left of Mr Geingob’s second time period in workplace. Presidential and parliamentary elections had already been scheduled for November.

The precise reason behind the president’s loss of life was not given however final month he underwent “a two-day novel therapy for cancerous cells” within the US earlier than flying again home on 31 January, his workplace had stated.

Leaders from world wide have been sending condolence messages.

Among them is Cyril Ramaphosa, president of neighbouring South Africa, who described him as “a towering veteran of Namibia’s liberation from colonialism and apartheid”.

Mr Geinbob, a tall man with a deep, gravelly voice and a commanding presence was a long-serving member of the Swapo social gathering. It led the motion towards apartheid South Africa, which had successfully annexed the nation then often known as South West Africa.

He lived in exile for 27 years, spending time in Botswana, the US and the UK, the place he studied for a PhD in politics.

Mr Geingob got here again to Namibia in 1989, a yr earlier than the nation gained independence.

“Looking again, the journey of building a brand new Namibia has been worthwhile,” he wrote on social media in 2020 whereas sharing an image of him kissing the bottom on his return.

“Even although we now have made lots of progress in growing our nation, extra work lies forward to build an inclusive society.”

Mr Geingob turned president in 2015 and was in his second and remaining time period in workplace.

He had already been the nation’s longest-serving prime minister – within the put up for 12 years from 1990 after which once more for a shorter stint in 2012.

Swapo, which has been in energy since independence in 1990, had chosen Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as its presidential candidate for November’s deliberate elections.

She is presently the deputy prime minister, and can turn out to be the nation’s first feminine president if she wins.