OPUWO: The late President Hage Geingob left behind a legacy of unity and economic reform, which will live on among all Namibians.
These were some of the sentiments expressed by those who attended the late president’s memorial ceremony at Opuwo in the Kunene Region on Friday.
Kunene Governor, Marius Sheya, who was one of the governors appointed by Geingob before his second term following the death of former Kunene Governor Angelika Muharukua, was also among those who shared their greatest recollections of Geingob.
‘I had an opportunity in my life, to lead one of the most difficult the toughest regions in the country of Namibia, not the people but the region. The most diverse region, a region where you will find all the bricks of Namibia as the late president will put it, but you put them together, its a unit, one that is united,’ he added.
Sheya described the late president as not just his president, but also a father figure who promoted unification, detested tribalism and believed in and valued all tribes
as equals regardless of political allegiance and religious beliefs.
Opuwo Mayor, Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo, praised the late president as a peacemaker and the driving force behind the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which sought Namibians to come together in unity and ensure that no Namibian felt excluded.
Mbinge-Tjeundo noted that while Geingob’s departure would be felt deeply, his goal of an inclusive and harmonious Namibia will live on and that such a legacy should be remembered since it epitomized the spirit of Harambee.
Dr Samuel !Oe-Amseb, President of the Association for Local Authority in Namibia (ALAN), urged the nation to build on the late president’s legacy to provide excellent service to all residents, regardless of the challenges that the country faces.
Tuakoveni Kenaumue, chairperson of the Kunene Youth Forum, paid tribute on behalf of Kunene youth, stating that the late president believed in youth empowerment and mentorship and that he, too, planned for succession by engaging and involving young people
in key leadership roles in government.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency