In a somber announcement from the presidential office, Namibia’s President, Hage Geingob, passed away early on Sunday in Windhoek at the age of 82. Elected as president in 2014, Geingob held the distinction of being Namibia’s longest-serving prime minister and its third president. As the nation prepares for presidential and national assembly elections later this year, Geingob’s legacy looms large.
Serving his second term, Geingob had disclosed in January that he was undergoing cancer treatment. The revelation followed a routine medical check-up that uncovered “cancerous cells,” according to his office. The news of his passing was conveyed in a statement by acting president Nangolo Mbumba, who shared that Geingob was surrounded by his wife, Madame Monica Geingos, and children.
Having undergone brain surgery in 2013 and an aortic operation in South Africa in 2023, Geingob had been receiving treatment at Lady Pohamba Hospital in Windhoek leading up to his passing. Describing him as a “distinguished servant of the people” and a “liberation struggle icon,” Mbumba urged the nation to remain composed as the government addresses necessary state arrangements and protocols.
The cabinet is set to convene promptly to manage the essential state arrangements during this period of mourning. Namibia reflects on the loss of a leader who played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s constitution and stood as a pillar of the Namibian house.
