Hage Geingob: Namibia's president dies aged 82

Namibia's President Hage Geingob, aged 82, passed away in the early hours of Sunday in a hospital, following a recent cancer diagnosis. Geingob had been at the helm of the sparsely populated southern African country since 2015, surviving prostate cancer since his announcement that year.

Namibia, known for its significant diamond deposits and lithium, a key ingredient in electric car batteries, will see Vice President Nangolo Mbumba taking charge until the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections later this year.

A post on social media from the presidency did not specify the cause of death. However, last month, it was announced that Geingob had undergone "a two-day novel treatment for cancerous cells" in the United States after a routine medical check-up.

Born in 1941, Geingob played a crucial role in Namibia's politics even before its independence from white minority-ruled South Africa in 1990. He chaired the body responsible for drafting Namibia's constitution and became its first prime minister at independence.

Geingob served as vice president of the governing South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) and became president in 2015. He won the 2014 election with 87% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a runoff in the 2019 poll.

Namibia, despite its upper-middle-income status, struggles with significant wealth disparities. Geingob acknowledged the historical racial divide, emphasizing the challenges of addressing wealth distribution without creating racial tensions.

The president passed away at Lady Pohamba Hospital in Windhoek, where he was receiving treatment from his medical team.