Namibia’s oldest political party Swanu, through its secretary general Ngaijake Tjikuzu, has distanced itself from a call made by party member Tangeni Iijambo this week in parliament to investigate the death of late president Hage Geingob.

Iijambo questioned the circumstances under which Geingob passed away, saying: “I have the military intelligence background, and we have a civic responsibility as Namibians to know the strained circumstances under which our head of state died”.

Iijambo’s request was later shunned by National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi, who said the topic cannot be entertained.

In a statement on Wednesday, Tjikuzu said: “Swanu wishes to strongly and in no uncertain terms distance itself from the irresponsible, insensitive and highly misplaced insinuations made by Dr Tangeni Iijambo that president Geingob’s death was not natural, and must be investigated”.

He added that Geingob was a head of state who was democratically elected, and with that office, he was automatically made the head of intelligence, head of security (including his own), head of the army, etc. 

“President Geingob publicly and voluntarily announced that he was sick, and would go for treatment. Which physician or which country to go for treatment rested squarely with him and the power bestowed by his office,” Tjikuzu said, adding that should there be something to cry foul for, it is rather prudent for him to entrust it in the good hands of the responsible officials.

“We believe that our government has better trained ‘military intelligence’ personnel in the president’s office, who have all the necessary information to make informed decisions,” he continued. 

He then called on Iijambo to refrain from saying or doing anything on behalf of Swanu.

“He had years to make meaningful contributions in parliament, but all he could do was to bring the name of the party in disrepute with his controversial statements,” the evidently agitated Tjikuzu said.

He informed the nation that Swanu doesn’t subscribe to the narrative expressed by the parliamentarian, and requested the nation to stay calm and collected.