Residents of the Zambezi Region gathered at the Katima Mulilo Sports Complex on Friday to mourn the death of the late president, Dr. Hage Geingob.

Zambezi Governor Alufea Sampofu expressed his condolences on behalf of the region, noting that the late president was a gallant and humble leader.

Sampofu reiterated that Geingob loved his country and joined the struggle for independence at the tender age of 27 to ensure Namibia's liberation from colonialism and change the apartheid regime to one run by the Namibian people themselves.

He stressed that since joining the liberation struggle in the early 1960s, Dr. Geingob served the Swapo Party in numerous countries and continued to do so after independence, in key and challenging positions, up until his death.

"President Geingob was a champion in fighting corruption, leading by example when he declared his family's combined wealth. That is, transparency. He was also very popular in fighting tribalism, and as a unifier, he called for unity in diversity and inclusivity, which he termed that everyone must be inside the Namibian house and no one should be left out. Dr. Geingob was a seasoned diplmat and pan-Africanist. He advocated for the liberation of Sahara from oppression by Morocco and Palestine for self determination from the apartheid Israeli regime."

Zambezi Regional Council Chairperson, Matengu Simushi, noted that Dr. Geingob's legacy is marked by tireless dedication and visionary leadership, including his inception of the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which he described as a ground breaking initiative aimed at transforming the country's landscape.

"The Zambezi Regional Council received funding for renovations and construction of the best education facilities to support teaching and learning. During the period of COVID-19, our region benefited in terms of ablution facilities in the Zambezi region. In addition, the region has seen the construction of pre-primary classrooms. During the academic year 2022, the president committed to the provision of classrooms across the country, to which the Zambezi Region was allocated 100 classrooms."

Katima Mulilo Town Council and Bukalo Village Council also hailed Geingob.