WINDHOEK – President Hage Geingob joined the masses, the diplomats and those in government in expressing his sadness and sorrow at the passing away of Swapo stalwart and former Namibian ambassador to Germany and the Benelux countries, Hanno Rumpf.
Rumpf died on Friday, at the age of 60.
The President wrote on his Twitter page on Friday, saying, “I have learned with sadness about the untimely death of Comrade Hanno Rumpf. Namibia has lost an illustrious son, and Swapo is poorer without a Freedom Fighter of the calibre of Cde Rumpf. My condolences to the family, comrades, and friends. May his soul Rest in Peace.”
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said, “The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation has learnt with profound sadness of the passing of Ambassador Hanno Burkhard Rumpf.” “Ambassador Rumpf has served Namibia and it’s people before independence and after independence with single minded dedication. He was a man of unbending principles. His bravery refused to be conscripted into the apartheid army of occupation to fight against his own people. For this, Hanno suffered ostracism by his friends. He was unyielding and fled the country to join the liberation struggle in exile,” she stated.
Nandi-Ndaitwah who is also the Deputy Prime Minister said, “Ambassador Rumpf was a consummate diplomat and skilful negotiator who served the Republic of Namibia with distinction as Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, with concurrent accreditation to the Federal Republic of Austria and the United Nations in Vienna.”
“During his diplomatic tours, he endeared himself as a gentle giant both intellectually and through the warmth of his caring character to his peers and interlocuters at all levels. Through his unshaken and principled dedication and commitment to serving the people and government of Namibia, he distinguished himself as a forceful and ardent voice and promoter for socio-economic development, progress and well-being of the people of his country,” she stated.
Since his retirement in 2015, he continued to impart his vast knowledge and diplomatic expertise to the ministry and served as a member of the Namibia Association of Retired Ambassadors, until the time of his untimely death.
“Ambassador Rumpf was a man of peace and he was dedicated to the wellbeing of the Namibian people. He will be remembered as a hardworking, friendly person, whose dedication and commitment over his career has contributed towards shaping Namibia’s diplomacy and international relations, particularly in strengthening bilateral relations between Namibia and the EU, at an economic level,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah. Rumpf was among a small number of white Namibians who left the country to join Swapo in exile in the early 1980s. He went into exile during 1984. After independence, he served as permanent secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (1990-1995), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (1995-1999) and the National Planning Commission (1999-2003). From 2003 to 2006, he was the Namibian ambassador to Germany. Before retiring in December 2015, he served as the ambassador to the Benelux countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and the European Union in Brussels.