Hage Gottfried Geingob 3rd President of Namibia since 21 March 2015 Date of Birth: 03.08.1941 Country: Namibia

1. Hage Geingob
2. Pre-Independence
3. Independent Namibia
4. President
5. Awards and Honors
6. Personal Life
7. The Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium in Windhoek is named in his honor.

Hage Geingob

Hage Geingob is a Namibian politician who has served as the third President of Namibia since 21 March 2015. He has previously served as Prime Minister of Namibia twice before his presidency.

Pre-Independence

Hage Geingob was born on 3 August 1941 in Otjiwarongo, Namibia. He worked as a schoolteacher before deciding to pursue further education. He trekked to Botswana on foot and narrowly escaped death when the plane he was scheduled to board to Tanzania exploded.

In the early 1960s, he became involved in the formation of the SWAPO party and the fight against South African rule. From 1964 to 1971, he led SWAPO's representative office at the United Nations. During this time, he also studied at Temple University, Fordham University, the University of Leeds, and the New School. In 1975, he co-founded and became the director of the Namibia Institute in Lusaka, Zambia.

He returned to his homeland in June 1989, as the country embarked on the election process in anticipation of independence the following year.

Independent Namibia

Immediately after Namibia's independence, Geingob became the country's Prime Minister, a position he held for over 12 years from 21 March 1990 to 28 August 2002. During this time, Namibia faced challenges such as near-civil war with separatists in the Caprivi Strip. The government played a significant role in quelling this conflict. Geingob also made significant efforts to develop tourism in the country.

In 2002, a government reshuffle led Geingob to step down as Prime Minister. He then served as Minister of Trade and Industry under Presidents Theo-Ben Gurirab and Nahas Angula, with intermittent breaks, for the next 10 years. He failed to secure a position on SWAPO's Politburo in September of that year. The following year, he briefly took up a position with an African organization in the United States, which increased his international profile. In November 2004, he re-entered Namibian politics, winning a seat in the National Assembly. In April 2007, he was reinstated into the SWAPO Politburo, and on 29 November, he became Vice-President of the ruling SWAPO party.

At the party's congress in late 2012, Geingob was re-elected Vice-President of the party, receiving the highest number of votes. Two days later, President Hifikepunye Pohamba re-appointed him as Prime Minister. He assumed the role of Prime Minister for the second time on 4 December 2012. Two months later, in February 2013, Geingob's government suffered a tragic loss when Abraham Iyambo, the young and talented Minister of Education, died suddenly in London.

President

In late November 2014, Namibia held presidential elections, with incumbent President Pohamba ineligible for a third term. Geingob was the presumed candidate for the ruling SWAPO party from early 2014, and in August 2014, he officially became SWAPO's presidential candidate.

In the 2014 presidential election, Geingob was the presidential candidate for SWAPO. In the general election held on 28 November, Geingob was elected as the country's third President, winning with 87% of the vote. He was sworn in as President on 21 March 2015.

Five years later, he ran for re-election in the 2019 presidential election. In early December 2019, he was declared the winner after securing 56% of the votes in the first round.

Awards and Honors

Prior to Namibia's independence, Hage Geingob was awarded the French Ordre des Palmes Académiques and the SWAPO Medal. After independence, he received state honors from Cuba, Canada, and Namibia.

The rugby stadium in Namibia's capital, Windhoek, is named in honor of Hage Geingob.

Personal Life

Geingob is a soccer enthusiast who has attended high-profile matches. He also regularly attends the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) and has a background in singing in a choir and playing in a band.

In 1967, Geingob married Priscilla Charlene Cash, a New Yorker. The couple has a daughter, Nangula Geingos-Duks.

Geingob later married Loini Kandume, a businesswoman, on September 11, 1993, in Windhoek. This marriage produced two children: a daughter and a son. Geingob initiated divorce proceedings against Kandume in May 2006, and an interim divorce order was granted in July 2008. Geingob married Monica Kalondu on 14 February 2015.

The Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium in Windhoek is named in his honor.