Namibia Bids Farewell to President Hage Geingob Amid Surge in Patriotism

CNTLIVE AUDIO

Namibia Bids Farewell to President Hage Geingob Amid Surge in Patriotism

Play Episode Pause Episode

Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 30 seconds

00:00 / 2:48

Acast YouTube

RSS Feed

Share

Link

Embed

A large crowd attended the state funeral of Namibian President Hage Geingob, who passed away at the age of 82 after battling cancer.

Mr. Geingob was laid to rest in a mausoleum at Heroes’ Acre on the outskirts of the capital, Windhoek. Mourners paid tribute to him as a nation-builder and a pan-African hero.

His widow, Monica Geingos, wept as his casket was lowered into his grave, marking the end of three weeks of mourning. Mr. Geingob passed away in the hospital on 4 February, with his deputy, Nangolo Mbumba, sworn in as his successor soon after.

His death sparked a surge of patriotism, with Namibians from all political backgrounds coming together to mourn. Thousands of people, many carrying the Namibian flag and dressed in national colors, lined the streets as his casket was driven through Windhoek. His body lay in state at Independence Stadium before being taken to Heroes’ Acre on Sunday in a gun-mounted carriage.

Huge screens were set up for the public to witness his funeral. The military gave Mr. Geingob a 21-gun salute, and K-8 fighter jets flew past. This was the first time Namibia buried a president since gaining independence from South Africa, then under white-minority rule, in 1990.

Described as the chief mourner, Mr. Mbumba said Mr. Geingob was unwavering in his commitment to the nation. “Your impact on us has been profound, your footprint on this nation is immense. You leave our country in better shape,” he said.

Mr. Geingob’s two predecessors, Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba, attended his burial, along with nearly 20 heads of state and government. Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was among the dignitaries who spoke at Mr. Geingob’s memorial, where he called for Germany to apologize for the atrocities committed during colonial rule in Namibia.

Namibia was under German colonial rule from 1884 until World War One. In 2021, Germany acknowledged committing genocide there, with German colonizers massacring more than 70,000 Herero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908. Mr. Geingob, who was first elected president in 2015, had been involved in talks with Germany to secure reparations. He was due to step down later this year, following the end of his two terms.