Nangolo Mbumba sworn into Namibia Presidency after the passing of Hage Geingob

Nangolo Mbumba, the former Vice President of Namibia, was sworn into President on Sunday, the 4th of February in Windhoek, the capital city. This officially makes him the 4th president. 

The swearing-in ceremony also appointed a new Vice President - Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. She is the first female Vice President of the country, and the former deputy prime minister and minister of International Relations and Cooperation. 

This took place after former President Hage Geingob passed away earlier the same day at the age of 82. In a statement that was released by the Namibian Presidency on Sunday morning, Mbumba said “It is with utmost sadness and regret that I inform you that our beloved Dr. Hage G. Geingob, the President of the Republic of Namibia, has passed on today, Sunday, 4 February 2024 at around 00h04 at Lady Pohamba Hospital where he was receiving medical treatment from his medical team.” Just a few weeks prior, the Namibian Presidency had said that Geingob’s medical team had discovered cancerous cells during a biopsy examination. 

Geingob was the first Prime Minister and third President of Namibia. Throughout his career, he went from an anti-apartheid activist to a statement of great repute. He was sworn into presidency in March 2015 and was re-elected in 2019. As Prime Minister, he served from 1990-2002 and 2012-2015. He also held a range of other key ministerial and leadership roles during this course of his career. 

Mbumba previously served as the second Vice President of Namibia since 2018. He is a dedicated member of the South West Africa People’s Organization, and boasts an extensive career with a range of leadership roles in Namibian ministries. He has previously served as Minister of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development (1993-1996), Minister of Finance (1996-2003), Minister of Information and Broadcasting (2003-2005), Minister of Education (2005-2010), and Minister of Safety and Security (2010-2012). From 2012 until 2017, he was the secretary-general of the SWAPO - the ruling party in the nation.   

In his statement, Mbumba demonstrated his affection and respect for the recently passed Geingob. He said: “The Namibian nation has lost a distinguished servant of the people, a liberation struggle icon, the chief architect of our constitution and the pillar of the Namibian house”.

Edited by: Megha Siddapura Manunatha 

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