Staff Reporter
“I MET him as a young girl. He was an impressive person. Physically speaking, he was a gentleman…. So I am a product of many leaders in Swapo and in the world, but specifically Dr. Hage Geingob.”
The above are the sentiments of retired Swapo politician Dr. Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, who spoke at the late President Hage Geingob’s inaugural Town Hall Conversation in Windhoek, which celebrated the legacy of the late former President of Namibia.
Dr. Ithana said that the governance principle Geingob believed in was constitutionalism, adding that Geingob was the chairperson of a committee that drafted the Constitution.
She added that this important document was not created out of luck or favouritism, adding that the Constitution was drafted with the help of Geingob within a three-month period due to the efficiency, flexibility and knowledgeability of the late Dr. Hage Geingob.
She added that the document was presented on 9 February 1990, while independence came on 21 March 1990.
She added that Geingob’s leadership skills and values of unity ensured that all those represented in the Constituent Assembly would be heard in providing input on the composition of the Constitution.
“Geingob once said, ‘The August year is a very important year. So I am a product of many leaders in Swapo and in the world, but specifically Dr. Hage Geingob. I met him as a young girl. He was a very impressive person… Physically speaking, he was a gentleman. When he appeared on the scene, you could not ignore his presence. If you were two minutes late, you would realise that he had been in the room,'” Ithana fondly remembered the late President.
In conclusion, she called on scholars to carry on Geingob’s legacy by implementing his ideas, adding that most of his ideas still remain in theoretical form and are yet to be implemented.
Photo: NBC Digital News
