PRESIDENT Hage Geingob’s firstborn son, Mangaliso Toure Fernandez Geingob, says Namibia has a bright future because of selfless people like his late father.
Mangaliso, who is based in the United States of America, also said the spirit of his father, who died two weeks ago, will live on among Namibians.
Remembering his father during the memorial service held in Windhoek on Tuesday, Mangaliso said his father had a vision for the future and that it is up to Namibians to realise his dream.
“Namibia stands on the precipice of greatness because of people like my father and Namibia has a beautiful future because I see financial stability and governmental stability. I see political and public maturity. My father had a vision for the future, and it was not just his vision. It is your vision because he listened to all of you, and he had the insight to apply what he heard.
“I think most importantly, as we go forward, we should understand that the spirit of Hage Geingob lives on and lives in all of us. He is not gone; we know that this transition is not the end but the new beginning,” he said while addressing mourners at his late father’s residence in the capital.
One of the five children of the late president, Mangaliso recounted how shocked he was at learning of his father’s death on 04 February, after an illness.
“When I first got the news, I had a deep sinking in me. The chest was heavy, breathing was difficult, and for three days it was hard to pull through,” he said.
However, he said the heavy weight of his father’s passing was lifted after receiving a hearty embrace upon arrival in Windhoek.
“When I was greeted, from the first person, with hugs, love, and perpetual consolation, it made my heart feel good. Actually, all the people in Namibia have been greeting me with much love and affection and that lifted my burden, and I was able to easily cope with the situation,” he said.
Mangaliso was born at the height of Namibia’s struggle for liberation, when his father and many others were picketing and advancing the country’s cause at the United Nations.
“What I will miss most, including those late-night calls, was his intuition. That intuitive grasp and knowing how to put things together laid the foundation for his future. As you see, he was part of those who drafted the Constitution and part of those people who helped liberate and build the
nation.”