The Swapo Central Committee's first meeting for 2024 on Saturday will be held without its elected president and chairperson, Dr. Hage Geingob.

The death of Dr. Geingob on February 4 robbed the Swapo Party of its president. 

After three weeks of mourning, Dr. Geingob was buried at the Heroes Acre on February 25.

It will be a sombre affair, as Geingob's place on the podium will be taken by his vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

At the first Central Committee meeting last year after the November 2022 congress, Geingob called on the party faithful to rally behind the vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, as the party's sole candidate for the 2024 Presidential Election.

"And then elections took place with the result, and we are going to have one candidate only when that comes, and that will be comrade Nandi Ndaitwah. So let's stop the rumours, dreams, fears, and so on. The time is not here yet. When the time comes, we will properly introduce and launch the campaign. Because of its Swapo, there are a lot of things at stake—it's Swapo and the country. I hope we don't go and have factions in this group or that group. From now on, we will have candidates elected. When the time comes, we will properly campaign for her. We will do the campaign ourselves so that she is elected on behalf of Swapo."

The Central Committee will be chaired by Nandi-Ndaitwah as prescribed in the Swapo Party constitution in the absence of the president.

Many will miss Geingob for his forthrightness, sometimes strict school principal appearance, and dry laughter. 

His place on the podium will be sorely missed as well.

Geingob was a familiar face on the podium, together with his Vice President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwa, Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa, and her deputy, Uahekua Herunga.

This quartet will be incomplete at this first central committee meeting of the year without Geingob.
President Nangolo Mbumba will attend the meeting as a guest, as he is not a full member of the Central Committee.