The funeral service of former First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba was held today at Okanghudi Village in the Ohangwena Region.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah joined mourners in paying their final respects to the late Pohamba, who died at the age of 78.

Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Pohamba homestead in Okanghudi to bid farewell to the former First Lady.

Pohamba served as Namibia's First Lady from 2005 to 2015, championing maternal and child health, women's empowerment, and support for vulnerable communities.

A trained nurse and midwife, she also played an active role in Namibia's response to HIV and AIDS.

In her message of condolence, President Nandi-Ndaitwah said death may silence a voice and remove a familiar presence, but it cannot erase the good a person leaves behind.

"Today, we are not just laying to rest the earthly remains of Madame Penehupifo Pohamba; we are bidding farewell to a woman who was a steadfast companion to her husband, a nurturing mother and grandmother, a pillar of strength in her family, a loyal comrade in the struggle for liberation, and a compassionate servant of the Namibian people. Your Excellency, Comrade Pohamba, for more than four decades, Madame Penehupifo walked beside you through life's changing seasons, from the sacrifices of the liberation struggle to the responsibilities of national leadership, and through the joys and burdens of building a family and a free Namibia."

Pohamba was buried at the Pohamba family cemetery in their family field, where the father of former President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his two wives are buried.

The former First lady was accorded a special funeral by President Netumbo Ndaitwah in recognition of her immense contribution to the country and the people pre- and post-independence.