Namibia has appointed Nangolo Mbumba as its new president, following the death of his predecessor, Hage Geingob, who died early on Sunday while receiving medical treatment in Windhoek. Geingob was a veteran of the country’s independence struggle and had been diagnosed with cancer. He had served in top political positions since independence in 1990. Mbumba has been sworn in as Geingob’s replacement and will serve until elections are due later this year.
Leaders from around the world have sent condolence messages, with many highlighting Geingob’s efforts to ensure his country’s freedom. One such leader is Cyril Ramaphosa, president of neighboring South Africa, who described him as a “towering veteran of Namibia’s liberation from colonialism and apartheid.”
Geingob was a long-serving member of the Swapo party, which led the movement against apartheid South Africa and introduced its system of legalized racism that excluded black people from political and economic power. He lived in exile for 27 years, studying politics in Botswana, the US, and the UK. He returned to Namibia in 1989, a year before the country gained independence.
Mbumba’s popularity declined after his first term, with a stagnant economy, high levels of unemployment and poverty, and corruption scandals. By 2021, three-quarters of the population thought the country was going in the wrong direction, a three-fold increase since 2014. The heroic narrative of Swapo having liberated the country is losing its appeal among a generation born after the event.
(BBC)
