Namibia’s President Hage Geingob died at 82 while receiving medical care at a hospital in Windhoek, the capital city.
Mr Geingob, a key leader in the country’s struggle for independence, had recently revealed his cancer diagnosis to the public.
Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba announced the sad news that Geingob passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, with his wife and children by his side.
Namibia “has lost… a distinguished servant of the people”, he said.
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”.
Prior to his return to Namibia in 1989, Mr Geinbob, a towering figure with a resonant voice and an authoritative demeanor, had been a dedicated member of the Swapo party. He played a pivotal role in leading the movement against apartheid South Africa, which had forcefully taken control of the country, then referred to as South West Africa, and implemented a system of legalized racism that marginalized black individuals from political and economic spheres.
Following his exile, spanning 27 years, Mr Geinbob resided in various countries including Botswana, the US, and the UK, where he pursued a PhD in politics. His academic endeavors in the United Kingdom contributed to his extensive knowledge in the field.
Having returned to Namibia a year prior to the nation’s independence, Mr Geinbob brought with him a wealth of experience and expertise that would prove invaluable in shaping the future of the country.
“Looking back, the journey of building a new Namibia has been worthwhile,” he wrote ton social media in 2020 while sharing a picture of him kissing the ground on his return.
“Even though we have made a lot of progress in developing our country, more work lies ahead to build an inclusive society.”
Mr Geingob assumed the presidency in 2015 and was currently serving his second and final term in office. Prior to his presidency, he held the position of prime minister for a remarkable 12 years starting from 1990, and later had a shorter stint in 2012.
However, despite his previous electoral success, his popularity seemed to have waned based on the results of the ballot box. In the 2014 election, he secured a significant majority, receiving 87% of the vote. Nevertheless, five years later, his support had dwindled to 56%. During Mr Geingob’s initial term, the country faced economic stagnation, high unemployment rates, and widespread poverty, as reported by the World Bank.
During his tenure, his political party also encountered numerous corruption scandals. One notable scandal was the “fishrot” scandal, where high-ranking officials and ministers were accused of accepting bribes in exchange for granting profitable fishing quotas. According to Afrobarometer, an independent polling organization, by 2021, three-quarters of the population believed that the country was heading in the wrong direction. This marked a three-fold increase since 2014.
In 2021, Henning Melber, a long-time observer of Namibian politics, noted that the heroic narrative of Swapo, which had once been celebrated for liberating the country, was losing its appeal among the younger generation who were born after the independence.
As the ruling party since independence, Swapo has selected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as its presidential candidate for the upcoming elections in November.
Currently serving as the deputy prime minister, she would become the country’s first female president if she emerges victorious.
