NOMTSOUB: The Opawa Junior Secondary School (JSS) in Tsumeb on Wednesday held a memorial service in honor of the late President Hage Geingob, who had served as a teacher there before going into exile.

The school’s principal, Lameck Masule at the event said the teaching and learning activities of the school were cancelled on Wednesday in order to dedicate the day to Geingob’s legacy.

Masule said the late president was a teacher at the school for upper primary in 1962.

‘The president also taught music to the learners in grade one until grade ssix that same year,’ he said.

The teachers and learners gathered in their school hall on Wednesday, where several speeches, songs and emotional stories from Geingob’s former learners, political followers and religious leaders were shared.

Two of Geingob’s former learners who spoke at the event are 69-year-old Betty Kaula and the 70-year-old Manuel Uiseb.

The two also sang one of Geingob’s favorite songs he taught them in 1962.

Former Deputy Minister of Information a
nd Communication Technology, Engel Nawatiseb, as well as the Tsumeb Constituency Councillor, Gottlieb Ndjendjela were also present at the memorial service.

Nawatiseb told the gathering that in November 2014 Geingob last visited Opawa JSS to remember his youthful days at the school where he was a prominent teacher.

The school in 2024 has a total of 671 learners and 24 teachers including the school principal.

The gathering also shared stories on how generous Geingob was, saying he even purchased a Toyota Hilux 2.0 single cab for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia’s Exodus ll Parish church at Tsumeb.

‘The vehicle is still operational and it often serves the church as a means of transport for its members,’ said Dean Frans Nawatiseb at the event.

Geingob was a member of the church, he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency