The Erongo region held a memorial service in honour of president Hage Geingob at Swakopmund on Thursday, during which Erongo governor Neville Andre encouraged Namibians to embody the late leader’s spirit and legacy.
“Today I join you all in the state of shock and grief at the passing on of one of Africa’s and Namibia’s finest sons,” he said.
Reflecting on Geingob’s life, Andre highlighted the late president’s “extraordinary contributions” to the nation, from steering the country through economic downturns, drought and the Covid-19 pandemic to his personal commitment to improving Namibians’ lives.
“He gave us a good heart, from which laughter came, and profound intelligence from which great leadership emerged,” Andre said, lauding Geingob’s “courage, kindness, and unwavering dedication to peace and unity”.
The governor urged Namibians to “awaken the Geingob within us”.
“Let us unite our country and see a country with shared prosperity, where inclusivity and equality reign, and poverty is no more,” he said.
Chief Sagarias Seibeb of the Dâuredama Traditional Authority at the event delivered a tribute, lauding Geingob’s contributions to Namibia’s diverse cultural landscape.
The chief reminisced on interactions with Geingob, particularly around budget allocations for traditional authorities, highlighting the late president’s commitment to ensuring no community was left behind.
Seibeb underscored the late president’s dedication to ‘One Namibia, One Nation’, urging Namibians to continue building the ‘Namibian house’.
“If we are not there where people are together, and if we look in the other direction, we will be excluded from the Namibian house,” he warned.
Henties Bay mayor Lewies Vermaak, who represented the Republican Party, delivered a tribute in Afrikaans.
He said Geingob was a president for all Namibians, regardless of race, colour, tribe or culture.
“Geingob would refer us to our IDs and ask us what we see. All we see is that we are Namibians.
“Let us keep it that way, let us remain united, just like our late president would have wanted,” he encouraged.
Representatives from Namport and the mining sector lauded Geingob’s positive impact on Namibia’s key economic sectors.
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