WINDHOEK: The burial of Namibia’s third President, Dr Hage Geingob, is underway, with a multitude of mourners gathered at the national shrine just outside the nation’s capital, Windhoek.
The former Head of State is receiving a hero’s funeral and his remains will be interred in a specially built mausoleum at Heroes’ Acre. He will also be sent off with a 21-gun salute by the Namibian Defence Force.
The burial ceremony is a culmination of the life of President Geingob, who became the first Head of State to die in office in the country’s 33 years of independence.
Hundreds of mourners including senior government officials, military officers and foreign dignitaries started arriving at the shrine early Sunday morning.
Geingob’s body was transported to Heroes’ Acre from Independence Stadium where it laid in state.
A memorial service in his honour was held at the national stadium on Saturday, during which President Nangolo Mbumba led the mourners in memorising the popular leader.
Since his passing on 04 February
2024, a series of memorial services were held across the country in all 14 regions.
Geingob’s window and former First Lady Monica Geingos, told the mourners on Saturday that her husband was diagnosed with cancer in January this year. He died while undergoing cancer treatment in Windhoek at the age of 82.
The main memorial service in Windhoek was attended by hundreds of mourners, including 18 Heads of State and Government who came to pay their last respects.
These include João Lourenço of Angola, Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, William Ruto of Kenya, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania. The Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi were also in attendance.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency