Namibian President Hage Geingob Succumbs To Cancer At 82.

By Caroline Ameh

Namibian President Hage Geingob has passed away at the age of 82, his office confirmed, less than three weeks after the announcement of his cancer treatment. The news was shared through a statement on social media attributed to Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, who now assumes the role of acting president.

Geingob, in office since 2015, lost the battle with cancer at a Windhoek hospital just after midnight, according to the official statement. Vice President Mbumba expressed the nation’s profound loss, 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, Hage Geingob played an important role in Namibia’s fight for independence. Serving as the country’s first prime minister from 1990 to 2002, he returned to the position in 2012 before being elected president in 2015.

Geingob’s early years were spent in exile, first in Botswana and then in the United States, where he emerged as a leader in the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO).

His pursuit of education led him to Fordham University in New York City and later to The New School, where he earned a master’s degree in international relations.

Post-independence, President Geingob played a serious role in navigating Namibia through the post-apartheid era, chairing the Constituent Assembly and overseeing the drafting of the new Constitution.

As the nation mourns, Vice President Mbumba urged calm, assuring that the government would manage necessary state arrangements, preparations, and other protocols. Further announcements regarding this significant loss are anticipated.