Geingob was a Pan-Africanist who valued the unity of Africa – Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana

Madam Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, the Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana, has described the late President of Namibia, Dr Hage G. Geingob as a Pan-Africanist who valued the unity of Africa.

She said Dr Geingob’s legacy extended beyond Namibia as he unwaveringly expressed solidarity with other African countries, especially those who were still under occupation, advocating for regional integration, peace and security in Africa.

The Namibian High Commissioner was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency ahead of a memorial in honour of the late President scheduled to take place at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, February 17, 2024.

Mr Geingob died at the age of 82, less than three weeks after it was announced he would undergo treatment for cancer.

He died on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at the Lady Pohamba Hospital in the capital Windhoek with his wife and his children at his side, acting President Nangolo Mbumba, said in a statement.

Dr Hage Gottfried Geingob served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death.

Born on August 3, 1941, Dr Geingob was Namibia’s first Prime Minister from 1990 to 2002 and served as Prime Minister again from 2012 to 2015.

Madam Ashipala-Musavyi said the late President always spoke about Namibia’s liberation struggle and why it was important for Namibians to always remember what it took for them to become an independent nation with countries like Ghana standing with them on that journey.

That, she said, was an invaluable mark and that the best way to express the country’s appreciation, especially to Ghanaians and other nationals, was to ensure that Namibia succeeded as a nation by promoting sustainable development for the benefit of all Namibians and the continent.

 Madam Ashipala-Musavyi said Dr Geingob embodied Namibia’s liberation which resonated with his motto “One Namibia, One Nation”, reflecting ethnic groups as “basically bricks and mortar of the Namibian house”.

She said the late President took education as an equaliser and advocated for universal education throughout Namibia, while promoting the shared values of the citizenry and upholding human rights.

The High Commissioner thanked Ghanaians, the Government, the President of the Republic and former President for the messages of condolences extended to the Government and people of Namibia.

“We did not know that Namibia has a vast connection with Ghanaians. What happened is a natural occurrence, it’s part of life, the demise of our late president will not affect our bilateral relationship.”

She further assured that, “we will continue to cooperate, we will continue where he left off, and we will continue to consolidate our relationship because that is what he would have wanted. That relationship between our two nations will continue to be strengthened for the benefit of our people.”

The Namibian Ambassador, speaking on what had characterised the diplomatic relations between Ghana and Namibia over the years, said the bilateral relations and cooperation between both countries had continued to grow stronger with exchanges of high-level visits, shared vision and desire to work together for the prosperity of their peoples.

“As you might know, Namibia enjoyed solidarity through the Organization of African Unity by then. For Ghana, specifically, many young Namibians were trained here in preparation to run the country after independence so the bilateral relations that we enjoy today with Ghana are excellent because of that history,” she said.

She noted as part of efforts to strengthen and deepen bilateral relations, Ghana and Namibia had signed several Cooperation Agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in various fields, and that currently, there was a platform for bilateral cooperation, and a joint commission for cooperation between Namibia and Ghana.

The High Commissioner said, in April 2023, there was a fourth session of the cooperation in Accra where a delegation from Namibia visited Ghana for further consolidated bilateral relations and cooperation between both countries.

Source: GNA