‘Geingob one of few African giants’
THE late Namibian leader, President Hage Geingob, was one of the few remaining crop of Pan-African leaders who fought hard against colonialism and bequeathed to the younger generation a legacy of hard work, patriotism, dedication to duty, among other virtues, President Mnangagwa has said.
He said President Geingob worked tirelessly to consolidate the relationship between Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The Head of State and Government said this yesterday after he visited the Namibian Embassy in Harare to convey his condolences following the death of President Geingob last Sunday.
In an interview with journalists soon after signing the book of condolences that has since been opened by the embassy, President Mnangagwa described President Geingob as an African giant.
“We worked together before the independence of Zimbabwe and Namibia, in Lusaka. Swapo had offices in Lusaka, we also had offices in Lusaka and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and there was collaboration between our organisations. I was in ZANU, of course, we were two organisations, ZANU and ZAPU but Swapo was also in Lusaka and Dar es Salaam, that was when we began collaborating in 1962, 63 and 64, in Lusaka and Dar es Salaam, that was when we began to know each other,” said President Mnangagwa.
“We worked together at that time until Zimbabwe became independent. We continued to collaborate as freedom fighters. So this (the death) is a loss to the crop of leadership, the Pan-Africanist leadership of Southern Africa, he was a giant, he was a man I respected, a man I worked with for over 46 years. We travelled a long journey together.”
In a condolence message that he wrote in the book of condolences, President Mnangagwa expressed his sadness over the death of President Geingob.