Day: February 22, 2024

WINDHOEK: ‘He fathered an entire nation with the same love and concern with which he fathered his family.’

These were the words of Nangula Geingos, eldest daughter of the late President Hage Geingob while celebrating her father’s legacy at a final intimate memorial service held in his honour at Casa Rosalia on Tuesday.

‘There is a piece of Hage in every one of us, we have been inspired, loved and shaped by his spirit of excellence. In this moment we might feel as though the light he shone on us is dimmed, but we must now be the carriers of that light,’ Geingos, who spoke on behalf of her siblings, said.

Geingos said her late father often worried about the Namibian nation as he did over his own family, often worrying and questioning if all the Namibian children had eaten, whether Namibian business people are given opportunities to succeed, whether the government was doing its part in service delivery, and whether Namibian women and children are well taken care of.

Whenever the answer was not all Namibians,
‘my father applied his whole golden heart, his brilliant mind and his passionate soul to stressing over the lives and livelihoods of his Namibian children,’ she said.

Family friend, Elmo Kaiyamo, in his tribute said the late president ‘wanted us to embrace our diversity, celebrate our achievements, and confront our challenges with courage and determination for it is in the unity of our humanity that we find strength, purpose and a promise of a brighter tomorrow.’

Joan Guriras, the widow of the late Prime Minister Theo Ben Gurirab, described Geingob as a patriot and fearless defender of the Namibian cause, who held an unwavering love for Namibia and fought at great personal inconvenience for Namibia and Africa.

Guriras called on mourners and sympathisers to pay homage to the late president by loving his wife, Monica Geingos and the Geingob children, and rallying behind the family.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

KEETMANSHOOP: About 1 000 inhabitants of the ||Kharas Region on Wednesday gathered at the J Stephanus Stadium in Keetmanshoop for the regional memorial service for the late President Hage Geingob.

The event was amongst others attended by community members, regional and local authority councillors, civil organisation leaders, political party leaders, church leaders, government officials, and members of the private sector.

Speaking during the service, ||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick said she met the late president in person in 2017 during his presidential campaign at Keetmanshoop. As Swapo regional information and mobilisation officer, Frederick was entrusted with briefing the late Geingob about the planned programme.

‘Little did I know that this encounter would alter the course of my life forever. In April 2020 a message was conveyed that the president himself wished to speak with me. As his voice resonated on the other end of the line, a mix of emotions surged within me, fear, excitement, disbelief. The
gravity of the moment was intense as he revealed his decision that I had been appointed as the governor of ||Kharas Region,’ said Frederick.

She said the late president was a leader of extraordinary calibre and he recognised the worth of young, talented and experienced people in the spirit of inclusivity and worked to utilise their talents.

‘We are paying tribute to Namibia’s national unifier, whose life’s work was devoted to actively promoting national cohesion and solidarity among its people which perfectly reflect his commitment to inclusivity and unity. His legacy as a unifier will forever be remembered and cherished by the Namibian people and his impact will be felt for generations to come,’ the governor said.

Frederick said the late president worked tirelessly to lay the foundation for a prosperous Namibia, where every citizen could feel the benefits of progress and development, adding that his dedication and vision have set in motion a path towards a brighter future for all in the Namibian House.

‘
While the president may no longer be with us, his legacy lives on as an exemplar of exceptional leadership. His leadership locally was characterised by a commitment to unity, transcending tribalism, racism, and regionalism,’ she said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

OMUTHIYA: Oshikoto Region Governor, Penda Ya Ndakolo, has called on people to stop criticising the late President Hage Geingob, saying he has done a lot for Namibia.

Ndakolo at the regional memorial service in memory of the late President Geingob at Omuthiya on Wednesday, said they are deeply touched by the late leader’s death.

‘If people are talking bad about our president they are offending us because we are touched by his death,’ said Ndakolo.

He said it was not easy to liberate the country from colonialisation and the late president made many sacrifices for Namibia’s independence.

‘How can someone celebrate the death of a president, is he or she okay in his mind?’ Ndakolo asked.

He further said he was close to President Geingob and was honoured to serve under his leadership, previously as Minister of Defence and currently as governor of the Oshikoto Region.

‘I thank him for entrusting me with such enormous responsibilities. I have learned a lot from this icon,’ Ndakolo said.

Ndakolo served as Minis
ter of Defence from 2016 until 2019 and was appointed as Oshikoto governor in 2021 by Geingob, who passed away on 04 February 2024.

Oshikoto regional Swapo youth league coordinator, Armas Amukwiyu, also bid farewell to Geingob.

‘He is indomitable, and his spirit continues to echo through the corridors of our country, Namibia,’ he said.

Amukwiyu also encouraged his fellow Namibians to celebrate the life of President Geingob and what he has done for them.

‘Even if his physical presence is not there anymore to observe, his spirit lingers in the gentle wind that sweeps across Namibia,’ said Amukwiyu.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Higher Education, Training, and Innovation Minister, Dr Itah Kandjii-Murangi, said former President Hage Geingob could not dismiss her for alleged corruption because he was aware of the facts.

Kandjii-Murangi withstood calls last year for her resignation and dismissal following media reports that she was unduly paid in subsistence and travel allowances (S and T).

It was alleged that the minister used her political muscle to coerce state-owned institutions under her authority to pay for her S and T to attend fully-sponsored events overseas.

According to the media, Kandjii-Murangi and her personal assistant received about N.dollars 2 million in S and T from the University of Namibia, the Namibia University of Science and Technology and the Namibia Training Authority, among others.

But after an investigation into the matter, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) said it found no evidence that the minister claimed S and T while knowing that the official events were fully sponsored.

To this end, Kand
jii-Murangi told Nampa in an interview that the ACC confirmed her innocence. She further noted that President Geingob could not take action against her based on allegations.

‘You know what is important is that the president is now gone, but he went with the truth. The truth is what came from the ACC. Like any citizen of this country, one cannot be tried by the public courts unless there is some kind of conspiracy.

‘But other than that, the best channel established within a state that thrives in upholding the rule of law is to go through the ACC. And indeed, ACC did exonerate me then and recently,’ she said.

The minister described the S and T payment as an administrative matter that was dealt with through the office of the executive director (ED).

‘As a ministry, we were asked through the ED’s office who is responsible for administrative matters, because really all those things that I was accused of were all administrative in nature. I do not calculate any S and T, nor do I know the formula that they use.
So that is that, and really, I don’t have anything to say other than that it gives me peace that the president went with the truth. Otherwise, he ought to have acted like he acted with others before me,’ the minister said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency