THE DEATH OF NAMIBIAN PRESIDENT DR HAGE G. GEINGOB, A BIG BLOW TO NAMIBIA AND SADC REGION – Edgar Lungu
Zambia’s Sixth Republican President Edgar Lungu has described the death of Namibian President as a big blow to the SADC region in general and to the people of Namibia in particular.
“News about the demise of President Geingob earlier this morning left my heart wrenched.
I was privileged to share a brotherly relationship with President Geingob, 82, from the time when both of us were given the grace to become Heads of State in our respective countries in the year 2015.
We have no answer when death comes. All our strengths and hopes as we journey on mother earth lie in the faith of our Lord, the God Almighty.
However, the passing on of President Geingob is hard to take. Our region and Africa as a whole is sadly losing our icons, the staunch, revolutionary and legendary Pan Africanists, at a time we need them most to tap into their wisdom, knowledge and experience.
The late President will always be remembered as a liberation struggle icon of Namibia who dedicated his life to help his country gain independence in 1990.
President Geigbob was one of the last, if not the very last, of our freedom fighters remaining, who was able to meaningfully infuse into the new generation of African leaders, the true spirit of Pan-Africanism from the liberation struggle against colonialism, against neo-colonialism, right up to the ongoing anti imperialism struggle, which many African nations don’t fully comprehend.
As we mourn President Geingob, let us find ways to preserve and inculcate the patriotic values of these great sons of Africa in Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Oliver Tambo and Julius Nyerere, among others.
In the ever complex world we live in today, our forward path will be safe if we relentlessly refer to our independence heroes for guidance, especially now when hypocrisy among some of our leaders is reigning supreme. The spirit of Pan Africanism is either being sacrificed or traded at the altar of expediency and personal interests.
Africa needs to look inward, to virtues of Pan Africanism. That is where our renaissance lies.
This is the legacy President Geingob has left for all well-meaning current and future African leaders to emulate and to, in turn, leave for posterity.
My hearty condolences to President Geingob’s family, the people and government of Namibia.
Signed
Edgar C. Lungu
4/02/24
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA”