PH
Namibians staged a candlelight memorial in Windhoek on Monday evening to remember their late president, Hage Geingob.
The widely revered statesman, who was undergoing cancer treatment, died on Sunday at the age of 82.
Sidney Boois, a resident, said he grieved when he learned the news, adding that this was the type of bond people had with Geingob.
“This was a personal relationship. But life is about relationships, and he related to people and could connect with us as a nation, as citizens of this country,” he explained.
After returning from a long exile in Botswana and the United States as an anti-apartheid activist, Geingob played a key role in the establishment of one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
Tributes continued to flow in from all around the world for the late president, who was a soft-spoken man determined to advance Africa’s agenda as an essential player in global affairs.
Geingob maintained close ties with the United States and other Western countries, but, like many African leaders, he also had a warm connection with China and other powers.
He might be outspoken on both domestic and international problems. In January, he chastised erstwhile colonial master Germany for backing Israel when South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
“Germany cannot morally express commitment to the United Nations convention against genocide, including atonement for the genocide in Namibia, whilst supporting the equivalent of a holocaust and genocide in Gaza,” the foreign minister stated.
He was referring to the period between 1904 and 1908, when colonial security forces slaughtered tens of thousands of people in Namibia while quelling a rebellion.
In 2021, Germany admitted that its actions constituted genocide and pledged more than $1 billion for infrastructural development in the country.
Following Geingob’s death on Sunday, the southern African nation promptly swore in his deputy, Nangolo Mbumba, as acting president to finish his second and final term in office.
Elections are scheduled for November. According to a government statement, Mbumba will lead Namibia until March 21, 2025, when the poll victor will assume office.
