End of an Era: Namibian President Hage Geingob Succumbs to Cancer at 82

By Iyojo Ameh

Namibian President Hage Geingob, aged 82, has passed away, leaving the nation in mourning. The announcement comes less than three weeks after it was revealed that he would undergo cancer treatment.

The official statement, attributed to Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, now acting president, was shared on social media.

President Geingob, who took office in 2015, breathed his last just after midnight at a Windhoek hospital.

Vice President Mbumba expressed the nation’s grief, referring to Geingob as a “distinguished servant of the people, a liberation struggle icon, the chief architect of our constitution, and the pillar of the Namibian house.”

Born on August 3, 1941, in Otjiwarongo, Geingob played a significant role in Namibia’s journey to independence.

Serving as the country’s first prime minister from 1990 to 2002, he returned to the role in 2012 before being elected president in 2015.

Geingob’s early years saw him in exile, first in Botswana and later in the United States, where he became a leader in the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO). Pursuing education in the U.S., he studied at Fordham University in New York City and obtained a master’s degree in international relations from The New School.

Post-independence, President Geingob played a pivotal role in steering Namibia through the post-apartheid era, overseeing the drafting of the new Constitution as the chairman of the Constituent Assembly.

As the nation grapples with the loss, Vice President Mbumba appealed for calm, assuring that the government would handle necessary state arrangements, preparations, and other protocols. Further announcements regarding this significant moment in Namibia’s history are anticipated.