After cancer diagnosis

Namibia’s President Hage Geingob dies

Hage Geingob

(Bild: AFP)

Namibia's President Hage Geingob died in hospital on Sunday (local time) at the age of 82. He had previously been diagnosed with cancer. Geingob's wife Monica and his children were by his side. Presidential and parliamentary elections are due to be held in the southern African country at the end of the year.

"The Namibian nation has lost an outstanding servant of the people, an icon of the liberation struggle, the leading architect of our constitution and the pillar of the Namibian home," said Geingob's deputy and now acting president, Nangolo Mbumba, in a statement.

Cause of death not known
No cause of death was given in the article. However, late last month, the presidential office said the president would travel to the United States for treatment after being diagnosed with cancer during a regular medical check-up. 

In the 1960s, he joined the liberation movement to free his country from foreign rule by neighboring South Africa, which at the time was led by the racist apartheid government. He was regarded as a brilliant thinker and accomplished rhetorician who campaigned for the rights of the oppressed. 

Hage Geingob

(Bild: AP)

As the first Prime Minister of independent Namibia - under the presidency of Sam Nujoma - he campaigned for reconciliation and the reconstruction of the former German colony (1884 - 1915) with a population of 2.6 million. After a stint as Minister of Industry and Trade, Geingob became Prime Minister for the second time in 2012. In November 2014, Namibians elected him president by a large majority and confirmed him for a second term five years later. 

Allegations of corruption diminished his reputation
However, during his second term in office, for which he only narrowly received the majority of votes, Geingob lost public esteem. Among other things, his inability to put a stop to mismanagement and unemployment led to a sharp decline in trust. His lavish lifestyle, his inability to accept criticism and his increasing political cooperation with China also caused resentment among the population. In 2021, Geingob himself was confronted with serious allegations of corruption.