Namibia’s president and founding prime minister Hage Geingob died on Sunday at age 82 whereas receiving remedy for most cancers, and the southern African nation shortly swore in his deputy to finish the time period in workplace.
Geingob performed a central function in what has grow to be one in every of Africa’s most secure democracies after coming back from an extended exile in Botswana and the United States as an anti-apartheid activist. He was the nation’s third president because it gained independence in 1990 following greater than a century of German after which apartheid South African rule.
He had been president since 2015 and was set to complete his second and ultimate time period this 12 months. His deputy, Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba, was sworn in as performing president within the capital, Windhoek, to finish the time period as allowed by the structure.
Elections are set for November. A authorities assertion stated Mbumba will lead Namibia till March 21 of subsequent 12 months, when the winner takes workplace.
The presidential workplace stated Geingob died in a neighborhood hospital along with his household by his aspect. He had returned to Namibia final month from the USA, the place he underwent a trial two-day “novel remedy for cancerous cells”, based on his workplace. In 2014, he stated he had survived prostate most cancers.
Comfortable-spoken however agency on advancing Africa’s agenda as an essential stakeholder in world affairs – “the exclusion of Africa from the Safety Council is an injustice”, he as soon as stated in a United Nations handle – Geingob maintained shut relations with the USA and different Western nations but additionally, like many African leaders, solid a heat relationship with China and different powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the many leaders who despatched condolences Sunday, saying he would “ceaselessly cherish” his recollections of assembly Geingob. “It’s troublesome to overestimate his private contribution to growing pleasant relations between Namibia and Russia,” a press release stated.
Geingob hosted US first woman Jill Biden final 12 months as she visited forward of what had been an anticipated journey to Africa by her husband US President Joe Biden in 2023. That didn’t happen.
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Namibia, with simply over 2.5 million folks, is wealthy in minerals comparable to diamonds, gold and uranium. Regardless of being labeled as an upper-middle-income nation, socioeconomic inequalities are nonetheless widespread, based on the World Financial institution.
The nation on the southwestern coast of Africa enjoys political and financial stability in a area that has lengthy seen battle and disputed elections. Namibia’s opposition criticised Geingob final 12 months for endorsing disputed elections in Zimbabwe.
However opposition chief McHenry Venaani paid tribute on Sunday.
“Certainly, President Geingob’s passing is a good loss not solely to Namibia, however to the African continent as a complete,” Venaani stated. “Such was the calibre of this grasp negotiator and statesman, a lighthouse of steadfast management in turbulent occasions.”
Geingob, who was Namibia’s first prime minister from 1990 to 2002 and served in the identical capability from 2008 to 2012, could possibly be outspoken on points at residence and overseas. In January, he criticised former colonial grasp Germany for supporting Israel after South Africa filed a case towards Israel on the Worldwide Court docket of Justice accusing it of genocide towards Palestinians in Gaza.
“Germany can not morally specific dedication to the United Nations conference towards genocide, together with atonement for the genocide in Namibia, while supporting the equal of a holocaust and genocide in Gaza,” Geingob stated.
He was referring to occasions between 1904 and 1908 when colonial safety forces in Namibia killed tens of hundreds of individuals whereas placing down an rebellion. Germany in 2021 acknowledged that the actions amounted to genocide and pledged greater than US$1 billion for infrastructure tasks within the nation.
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Condolences from African leaders poured in on Sunday.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described Geingob as “a towering veteran of Namibia’s liberation from colonialism and apartheid”.
Kenyan President William Ruto stated Geingob “strongly promoted the continent’s voice and visibility on the international enviornment”.
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa posted on X that Geingob’s “management and resilience might be remembered”.