The late President, Dr. Hage Geingob, and his widow, Monica Geingos, would have celebrated nine years of their wedding anniversary tomorrow.

The couple said "I Do" on February 14, 2015.

It was in 2015 when Namibians celebrated the first-ever state wedding, just a few weeks before witnessing the swearing-in of the country's third president.

Dr. Geingob had just won the 2014 presidential race and was the president-elect when he tightened the knot.

Monica Kalondo, a qualified lawyer and a notable businesswoman, was the wife-to-be of the then Prime Minister and Vice President of the ruling Swapo Party.

Her choice of wedding gown design soon kept the nation in suspense, as Dr. Geingob had been known for his impeccable taste in style and love for fine fabric cuts.

In keeping with her Aawambo culture, the bride and First Lady in waiting, opted for a traditional red, pink, and purple wedding gown with a mermaid design and a tiara made with traditional beads.

Geingos had always been public about how she met Dr. Geingob, saying that they had been best friends for many years.

The now-former first lady once, at an event, expressed her worry about the public's perception in relation to the 35-year age difference between her and her husband.

True to the saying that love overcomes anything, Geingos accepted this fact.

Former nbc News reporter Tonateni Shidhudhu covered the wedding ceremony, which was attended by close family and friends of the couple at the Windhoek Country Club. 

"What I remember so far is that there was a sense of excitement and general euphoria, people were anticipating to see how the ceremony would look like, both the then president-elect and Monica Geingos are people of style, everyone wanted to see how they are people of style, everyone wanted to see how they were going to look, and they were getting married on Valentine's Day, it was indeed a special occasion."

For Shidhudhu, though he had the privilege to cover the presidential nuptial, he felt the pressure too.

"It was a bit challenging, but as much as it was exciting, as the only reporter, I was expected to make sure that I tell the story as it is, I had to make sure that I capture every moment and make sure the story was descriptive."

For nine years, the former reporter has kept his wrist band that granted him access to the wedding as memorabilia.

Dedicated to national duty, the couple in 2015, in a statement, said that as much as they would want to celebrate their wedding day with a network of family, comrades, and friends, it was unfortunately not practical.

It was a time of transition in government, and other pressing matters demanded their attention at the time.

Unlike the past years in which they celebrated their found love, Monica, who on many occasions, if not always sat next to her husband with a bright smile, will sadly go through it all without him, but the memories of the ünifier".

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Emil Xamro Seibeb