RS Chairman extends condolences on demise of Namibian President, remembers his role in relocation of 8 Namibian Cheetahs to India

The Chairman shared his feelings while addressing the members earlier, when the House assembled for the day.

"Hon'ble Members, I have to inform the House of the sad demise of the President of the Republic of Namibia, His Excellency Dr. Hage G. Geingob. He was a freedom fighter, statesman, Chairman of the Constituent Assembly that formulated the Namibian Constitution, the first Prime Minister of independent Namibia and the third President of the country," the Rajya Sabha Chairman said.

Dhankhar further mentioned that the Namibian President dedicated his entire life to the welfare of his people and the development of his country.

"President Geingob was a friend of India. President Geingob's role in facilitating the relocation of eight Namibian Cheetahs to India in September 2022 is greatly admired."

On behalf of this House, the Chairman said, "We express our "deepest condolences to the government and the people of Namibia. We share our sympathies with his family, friends and admirers. "

"We deeply mourn the passing away of his Excellency Dr. Hage G. Geingob," added the chairman.

Geingob, 82, died in the hospital early on Sunday, weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer. Geingob had been in charge of the thinly populated and mostly arid southern African country since 2015, the year he announced he had survived prostate cancer.

Born in 1941, Geingob has been a prominent politician since before Namibia achieved independence from white minority-ruled South Africa in 1990. He chaired the body that drafted Namibia's constitution, then became its first prime minister at independence on March 21 of that year, a position he retained until 2002.

In 2007, Geingob became Vice President of the governing South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), which he had joined as an agitator for independence when Namibia was still known as South West Africa.

Geingob served as trade and industry minister before becoming prime minister again in 2012. He won the 2014 election with 87 percent of the vote but only narrowly avoided a runoff with a little more than half the votes in a subsequent poll in November 2019. (ANI)