Namibian President Hage Gottfried Geingob has died at 00h04 on Sunday in a Windhoek hospital. He was 82.

His death was announced by Vice President Nangolo Mbumba on television after 03h30 on Sunday morning.

“At his side was his dear wife and their children. The medical team tried its utmost best to ensure that our president recovered. Regrettably, notwithstanding the team’s spirited efforts to save his life, sadly, he passed on,” said Mbumba.

Geingob is survived by First Lady Monica Geingos and their children.

President Geingob was Namibia’s first Prime Minister after independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

He served a second stint as PM from 2012 until he was elected president in 2015.

Geingob, who was also Swapo - Namibia’s ruling party - president, swept the presidential elections in 2014 garnering 87% of the vote. Geingob promised poverty eradication, transparency and a serious attempt at economic emancipation for Namibians.

In 2019 Geingob was reelected but with a significantly reduced majority of 56%.

Geingob joined Namibia’s liberation movement, Swapo, in the early 1960s and went on to serve in the leadership structures of the organisation until his death.  

His second term will be remembered for several potentially lucrative offshore oil and gas discoveries as well as his flagship green hydrogen project that attracted massive interest internationally. If successful, these plans will make Namibia a major international energy player.

Geingob was in the final year of his presidency and has repeatedly stated that he was looking forward to retirement.