As the nation reels in shock after the death of Namibia’s third president, Hage Geingob, who died in the early hours of Sunday morning, leaders in the Kavango regions remembers him as caring. 

Hompa Alfons Kaundu of the Mbunza Traditional Authority in Kavango West has described the late president as one who had elderly people’s needs at heart, as he cared for their well being.

“I’m still in shock because I was not aware of his illness and his death caught me off-guard, this year was his final year and we still wanted more from him as our leader. As you are aware that it is also an election year, we were still going to engage before we elect a new president but now we are worried about the upcoming elections, I am really touched and I know the fellow elderly are really touched too. Ever since he took over the reigns as president, elderly folks have been happy,” Kaundu said.

“As traditional leaders, every time he engaged us, Geingob gave us wisdom on how we can work with our communities in our traditional authorities. As for me, I am really saddened and so are my subjects, this year we still wanted more engagements with him, may God receive him. My deepest sympathy and condolences to his family.  May they be strong during this bereaved moment,’’ he said.

Hompa Kaundu said the fallen president had a vision to eradicate poverty and hunger. 

“We hope our new and the next president will have the same vision, we don’t want a hungry and poor nation,” he noted. 

Currently, over 200 000 pensioners receive the monthly old-age grant. Shortly before his death, Geingob said he hoped the old-age pension grant will be increased to N$2 000 or more. 

“Before I leave office, I hope that the old age pension grant will be increased to N$2 000 or even N$3 000 per month,” Geingob said in his last New Year’s message.

Kavango West governor, Sirkka Ausiku has described the late President Geingob as a unique person with a sense of humour and a democrat who believed in democratic processes.

“He was a hero of our liberation struggle, a founding member of our constitution, a strategist. He was building a Namibian house with a vision of no one must feel left out. His absence will surely be felt by the Namibian people,’’ Ausiku said.

As we mourn the death of Geingob, Ausiku appealed for calm. 

“The region extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to former first lady Monica Geingos, the children, the entire bereaved family, and the Namibian nation at large. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” she said. 

Nkurenkuru mayor, Jafet Muti described Geingob as someone who delivered and had peoples concerns at heart especially with the elderly citizens. 

“He improved their social grants, one can see he really had a caring heart and wanted to solve problems,judging on how he engaged the nation through his town hall engagements,” he said.

In Kavango East, the traditional leader of the Shambyu Traditional Authority, Hompa Sofia Mundjembwe WaKanyetu, encouraged Namibians to be calm during this difficult time that the country is going through, and she further urged people not to panic but rather see how the country will move on after this. 

“We are all saddened by his death, many of us are still in disbelief this is the first time we are mourning a president as a country, a dark cloud has descended on us,’’ she said.

“We should not be like citizens who do not know where they are coming from and were they are headed to. Various leaders have been informing the nation on the untimely death of our president and have been reminding us of how he took care of us during his time, the achievements and visions that he had. As for our senior citizens, they are really crying but grateful for what he has done for them. The increased pensioner grants have improved homes, especially in rural areas where they struggle to make ends meet,’’ Hompa Kanyetu said.

“On Sunday, I informed people at church of the passing of our president, some didn’t know as they had no TV and radio at home and they were in shock and the death of our president touched them just like how we have all been touched. Some sang praises for the many good deeds he did for the Namibian nation during his lifetime before he became president and during his presidency,” she noted.

Rundu mayor Gabriel Kanyanga described the late Geingob as a people’s person. 

“I remember when we were sworn in as councillors some years, he
invited us to his farm and there he installed confidence in us, in order to govern the local authority with confidence, he prepared us to face the masses and that has assisted us up to now,’’ Kanyanga said.