Former Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Libertine Amathila, in her tribute to the late President Hage Geingob, recalled the days they lived in a commune together in Zambia as refugees.

Dr. Amathila said she received the news of Dr. Geingob's death with shock and disbelief, adding that she did not expect that outcome, after hearing that the president had gone to America for treatment.

"Dr., do you remember your brother, Tate Hage, I said yes, yes, he has gone to America, and then later she said he has passed on. I mean, my heart almost stopped. I didn't expect him to pass on so fast. I stopped talking." 

"The man was here the other day with his wife, they were very happy, they came a second time, we sat for three hours chatting and talking, and now that I hear he is gone, I am very sad. But then, what do you do? You have no choice." 

She recalled the late President's generosity at the time when she first arrived at the refugee camp in Nyango, Zambia, and was in need of refuge.

" When he found me in Nyango, I told him I didn't have a bed, I wanted to be in the camps, but I didn't have a bed, He went to buy me a single bed, and he said because I am a single, small woman."

The late President was also the Director of the United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN), in Lusaka, Zambia, where he played a pivotal role in getting expertise to impart knowledge to Namibians at the institute.

We spoke to Sam Shakong, a former lecturer at UNIN, who describes him as a pan-Africanist.

"The way a few of us are from different countries. He was a very good person to work with; he was very consultative, he met with staff frequently, and he made you feel that you were contributing and that you were still part of the struggle, that you were fulfilling the mission for the liberation of Namibia."

Shakong also hailed the good-hearted nature of the late President, saying that at the time of their return to Namibia, when the country became independent and the institute closed, the late Dr. Geingob invited all his staff to join in celebrating independence.

The staff also got to witness the graduation of the institute's last intake.

"We, members of staff, were able to see the last batch of our students graduating in a free Namibia. Together with their parents, it was quite an emotional moment, especially for their parents."