Geingob laid foundation for smooth transition of power – Geingos

Former first lady Monica Geingos has credited late president Hage Geingob for ensuring a seamless transition of power through constitutional reforms initiated in 2014.

During Gondwana Collection’s ‘The Conversation’ podcast last week, Geingos reflected on Geingob’s strategic foresight in introducing the vice presidency to stabilise succession processes in the country.

At the time Geingob, who was tipped to be Swapo’s presidential candidate in the 2014 elections, served as the prime minister.

“Previously, pre-2014, the Constitution only had a president and a prime minister, and if something happened to the president, the country [would have to hold] elections within three months.

“Hage said, ‘we must fix succession. No country will be ready to call an election in three months’. He personally, as prime minister, had town hall meetings to push those amendments,” Geingos said.

Geingos recalled Geingob’s commitment to engaging the public to explain the necessity of the reforms.

She shared a moment in Windhoek’s Okuryangava area, where Geingob was asked if he anticipated his own death due to the specificity of the amendments.

“He laughed and said, ‘You don’t change a Constitution to protect an individual, you change a Constitution to protect a nation’,” Geingos said.

This, Geingos said, proved important when Geingob died earlier this year and the vice president, as stipulated by the amended Constitution, was sworn in immediately.

Following Geingob’s death on 4 February, then vice president Nangolo Mbumba was sworn in about 15 hours after Geingob’s death by chief justice Peter Shivute.

Mbumba appointed then deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to be his successor as vice president.

“When he passed, the vice president took over.

Had that the Constitution not been changed, as a country we would have been in a crisis, not just the political crisis, but it would have been in a crisis for elections. So that transition started that smooth transition, he was a critical player in ensuring it.”

Geingos emphasised that while some people criticised Mbumba’s swearing-in ceremony just hours after Geingob’s death, it is exactly what her husband would have wanted.

“That’s why I don’t believe in coincidences.

Lots of people felt that it was insensitive to swear in a new president on the day that Hage passed.

But, I saw him in those 2014 town hall meetings.

That is what he wanted.

That is what he believed in – systems, processes, institutions, and that there must never be a power vacuum.

The Cabinet made the right decision, that swearing-in had to be on the same day he passed,” Geingos said.

Geingob, whose health challenges included brain surgery in 2013, prostate cancer in 2014, and heart valve surgery in 2023, was open about his health struggles.

In January this year, he announced a recurrence of cancer after undergoing medical procedures.

RELATIONSHIP OF EQUALS

Furthermore, Geingos described her marriage with Geingob as being rooted in love, equality and mutual respect.

“He was a big guy, even his voice. He had big ideas and I don’t believe I would have been able to be a good wife to him if I was a small person.

I had to also be where I was in life in order to be what Hage needed in a partner,” Geingos said.

Geingos, a qualified lawyer, has extensive experience in the financial and private equity sector.

“In many ways, a lot of what I did before I got married is the reason we had such a good marriage.

I think that is beautiful. And I think that is so important to paint that picture. You know, it is multi-dimensional.

You have got to be equal. A woman doing what I was doing and earning the type of money that I was earning.”

Geingos highlighted that there are challenges faced by women in high-powered roles, especially those who are primary earners in their relationships.

“It is not easy for that woman to manage her relationship if her partner’s not earning the same or more, if he’s earning less and has not the same profile. It’s a difficult thing.

So, women who are breadwinners have challenges that many women who are not breadwinners do not discuss.

For me with Hage, technically, I earned more than him, but he was self-fulfilled.

That man had confidence in himself and he was happy with where he was in life,” Geingos said.

Reflecting on their marriage, Geingos noted the importance of finding balance as a couple.

“It’s not just about marriage, it’s about being comfortable in your own skin first. That’s the foundation for any strong relationship,” she said.

FRIENDSHIP AND POLITICS

Geingos further opened up about the challenges of maintaining friendships while navigating political life and public scrutiny.

“I have friends who aren’t pro-government or supportive of the political party I back.

I am a big supporter of government, the political party I support, and the work that Hage did. But I had to evaluate which friendships could survive my proximity to power because power inevitably attracts criticism, sometimes deservedly so,” Geingos said.

Geingos described how her close relationships suffered due to differing political views.

She said to preserve friendships she valued, she established boundaries around the nature of political discourse.

“I told them, ‘If you say Hage is a bad president or not doing enough about corruption, that’s fair comment, it won’t affect our friendship, but if you call him deceitful, a liar, or a thief, that crosses a line for me,” Geingos said.

She elaborated on the distinction between criticising the office and attacking the individual.

“I am married to the person, not the position.

You can critique the role and the decisions made in that role, but when commentary becomes personal, it impacts me deeply,” Geingos said.

PUBLIC VS PRIVATE SECTOR

Geingos further offered a perspective on the public sector’s role in addressing Namibia’s most pressing challenges, based on her transition from private to public life.

“As someone who came from the private sector, I had strong views about the inadequacies of the public sector. But having had the chance to see the other side, I realised the public sector is where our most complex societal problems are addressed,” Geingos said.

She noted that many people join the private sector because of the financial benefits, however, the public sector tackles real problems even with the smaller salary scale.

“Our best brains often gravitate toward the private sector, which does solve complex problems, but the public sector tackles real problems that affect us as a nation. We need more of our brightest minds in the public sector to address these issues,” she said.

Geingos challenged assumptions about public sector inefficiency.

“The notion that everyone in the public sector is incompetent is wrong.

There are incredible people working tirelessly for minimal remuneration because they understand that the nation’s prosperity depends on their work. But we need more of them, and we need to scale up their efforts significantly.”

Reflecting on the challenges Namibia faces, Geingos noted the nature of structural problems.

“The scale of the problems relative to the solutions surprised me. While there are effective solutions in place, they need to be expanded dramatically to meet the country’s needs.

There’s a need for fresh capital, new ideas and innovative approaches to tackle these issues on a larger scale,” Geingos added.