Various young female political leaders have hailed late President Hage Geingob as a progressive man who understood affirmative action in the context of women, and inter-generational nation-building through youth empowerment.
Sharonice Busch, the executive chairperson of the National Youth Council of Namibia, told Nampa that Geingob has demonstrated his commitment to uplifting women and youth from the grassroots to the highest levels of governance.
“This is evidenced by his appointment of young women and men into various capacities of leadership. President Geingob will be remembered, among many other things, for dramatically shifting the Overton Window insofar as youth leadership and youth inclusion in governance is concerned. He was not afraid to stand behind young people. He was not afraid to let young people take the lead,” she stated.
Presidential Youth Advisor Daisry Obal, who was appointed by Geingob at the age of 28, told this agency that he was fair and brave in matters of conflict resolution. “Although I was consistently among the youngest members of his team around the table, President Geingob engaged and valued us as equals, affirming our individual competencies. He was a hard taskmaster, hardest worker in the room, and so he led from the front. He was hands-on, and often burnt the midnight oil with his team to get the job done,” she added. Obal said Geingob cared about the overall wellbeing of his team.
“Understanding the political nature of the office, he checked in on us often, and on many occasions, I have witnessed him attempt to shield us from some of the more politically-motivated offensives,” she continued.
She noted that it is through Geingob’s leadership that Namibia achieved 47% female representation in parliament, making it second on the continent, 37% female Cabinet ministers in the executive, and 85% female deputy ministers.
“As one of his speech-writers, I would often read back his lengthy speeches to him, in final edit preparation. On one such occasion during a SONA preparation and under immense pressure, my voice started to crack as we read through. He took notice, stood up from his chair and served me a drink of water, and with a gentle smile on his face, he refreshed me. I’ll never forget his kindness and care,” Obal said.
The first female president of the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso), Ester Simon, was at the age of 24 appointed as the youngest advisor on Geingob’s Advisory Panel, the High-Level Panel on the Namibian Economy. She described his leadership style as inclusive and consultative.
“His mentorship and guidance were invaluable, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunities he afforded me to contribute to meaningful initiatives which have had a lasting impact on our nation,” she told Nampa.
Geingob died on 4 February at a Windhoek hospital. - Nampa