PAUL T. SHIPALE
A year after the shocking untimely passing of the Late President Hage Geingob, many Namibians are still grappling with the reality that he is gone forever.
On the 04th of February 2024, a sombre cloud hovered over the nation as, in the early hours, then Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba announced that Geingob had passed away, said the reporters in the daily newspapers. On the occasion of the commemoration of the first anniversary of his passing, Namibians from all walks of life paused to reflect and pay tribute to him.
Indeed, in honour of the Late President Geingob, the commemorative event of the first anniversary began with a ceremony at Heroes’ Acre where the former First Lady Madame Monica Geingos and the family, including the President, the First Lady, the President-elect, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister laid wreaths in the mausoleum to pay their respect to the Late President Geingob with emotions running high as tears flowed and grief filled the air.
The event continued at State House where the former First Lady Geingos and President Nangolo Mbumba delivered their tributes. The former First Lady’s speech vividly portrayed her late husband’s presence, humour and impact on those around him. In addition, she extended her thought and prayers to the Nujoma family and to the Founding Father saying “My heart and empathy are with the Nujoma family right now as they grapple with a lot of what we had to grapple with and we pray for them and we pray for the Founding Father”.
Similarly, she reflected on the legacy of Namibia’s past leaders, emphasising the contributions of the Founding Father, former President Pohamba and Late President Geingob, saying they had left the country with a clear direction. She also shared her late husband’s vision of establishing a presidential centre and recalled her husband’s close friendships, particularly with President Mbumba and the First Lady, Madame Sustjie, as well as with Professor Peter Katjavivi.
President Mbumba, after pausing and giving a huge sigh, reflected on the moment he was sworn-in as Head of State saying “exactly 365 days ago, with tears in my eyes, I had to take the oath of office as the President of Namibia”. He then paid tribute to his late friend and mentor and talked about the profound impact he had on his life.
In this regard, as the nation commemorates the first anniversary of the passing of Late President Geingob, I wish to focus, as the Late President always wished, ‘on principles, not people’, as it was stated by former First Lady Geingos when she said that her late husband wanted to leave a legacy of inclusivity, non-tribalism and a vision of a Namibia where every citizen has a place.
Indeed, the untimely passing of President Geingob plunged the nation into unchartered waters as the nation lost a sitting Head of State. However, within fourteen hours after the passing of President Geingob, constitutional processes, systems and institutions, as he envisaged, ensured a seamless transition of power, with Nangolo Mbumba assuming the role of Head of State but little attention is given to his ascendancy to power.
But who is President Nangolo Mbumba who focused on maintaining government stability without introducing major new policies when he became the fourth President of the Republic of Namibia, presiding over the country at such a critical moment in our nation’s history? President Mbumba was born on 15 August 1941, at Olukonda, in Oshikoto Region, as such, he is from the royal palace (Omumati gwo koMbala). He attended his Secondary School Education at Oshigambo Secondary School until 1965 when he went into exile and attended further secondary education, at Nkumbi International College, in Zambia 1966.
He later enrolled for a Bachelor of Science at the Southern Connecticut State College, in the USA in 1971 and also obtained his Teacher Certificate for Secondary Schools in the same year and proceeded to do his Master of Science in Biology at the University of Connecticut, in the USA in 1973. Between 1975 and 1978, he taught Science and Mathematics at the Harlem Preparatory School in New York City, USA.
He then became the Head of Science Department at the Namibia Education Centre, in Kwanza Sul, Angola between 1979 and 1980 as well as its School Principal and Deputy Director from 1980 to 1985. He was later appointed as SWAPO Deputy Secretary for Education and Culture between 1985 and 1987 and became the Personal Secretary to the SWAPO President, H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma, in Luanda, Angola in 1987 to 1988.
President Nangolo Mbumba then joined his friend, the Late President Geingob in Lusaka, Zambia and became the Assistant Director and Head of Department of Education and Teacher Training, at the United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN), from 1988 to 1998. When the country was preparing for the implementation of the UN Resolution 435, President Mbumba followed his friend and became the Adviser on Administrative Matters when the Late President Geingob was appointed as the SWAPO Director of Elections in 1989. Similarly, when the Late President Geingob was again appointed as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Namibia, President Nangolo Mbumba became the Secretary to Cabinet between 1990 and 1993. He was later appointed to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Administrative Authority for Walvis Bay and Off-Shore Islands in 1992 to 1993.
His political career started in earnest when he was appointed to different portfolios as Minister, including of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, Finance, Information and Broadcasting, Education, Safety and Security and as Secretary General of the SWAPO Party. He was then appointed by the Late President Geingob as the Vice-President of the Republic of Namibia upon the passing of the Late Vice-President Dr. Nicky Iyambo. He is currently the fourth President of the Republic of Namibia when he took over the reins of power upon the passing of his friend and mentor, the Late President Dr. Hage G. Geingob. As such, no one but him was the right person to take over from the Late President Geingob.
Indeed, not many Vice-Presidents gracefully transition out of their roles as supporting characters in an administration and into the centre of attention to withstand the scrutiny that comes with that. Only a few make it to the presidency with the added advantage of institutional memory and the blessing from their predecessor. It is against this background that President Nangolo Mbumba narrated as he reflected on their long term friendship and said that he is too young to carry Hage on his shoulder but said Geingob has carried him on his shoulders, diplomatically in New York, politically in exile, and administratively in the Office of the Prime Minister.
I vividly remember when I obtained a bursary to go for my tertiary studies in France and was taken by my Aunt Ruusa Nikanor Andima to Parliament Building and was given the bag with which I travelled to France by President Mbumba. This gesture reminded me of when I came for holidays from Cuba to Angola and met President Mbumba for the first time when he was appointed as SWAPO Deputy Secretary for Education and Culture between 1985 and 1987 and became the Personal Secretary to the SWAPO President, H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma, in Luanda, Angola in 1987 to 1988. Coincidentally, when I went back to Cuba to finish my secondary education, Uncle Ben Amathila also gave me a bag to travel with to Cuba. It is as if it was written in the stars that one day, I too will become the Personal Assistant to the Founding President, H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma.
Thus, I do not think it was friendship alone that connected the two leaders but also loyalty and discipline as well as fate as they were both born in August 1941 with only weeks apart. The other connection was because President Mbumba and his wife, Madame Sustjie, loved Geingob and that started way back in exile. Most importantly, I think it is because both leaders have what we call consequential leadership. For me, being a Leader of Consequence means being a leader who cares not only about the impact one has in his/her workplace, but the impact one leaves on the rest of the world – whether that be by transforming the way things are done, or enhancing the way one has to interact with the community.
We are living in times of intense challenges with the biggest war in Europe, in Ukraine, since World War II, economic stress as we emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. There are dramatic energy shortages and accelerating climate change. Currently, there is a conflict in the Eastern DRC, the recently inaugurated President of the USA, Donald Trump, has an unorthodox way of conducting his foreign policies, including his internal policies blaming the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policy as a scapegoat with his mantra of “Making America Great Again”. Taken in aggregate, the threats to our hopes and expectations for the future can seem daunting and overwhelming.
In momentous times like these, consequential leadership is required. It’s not good enough to do your best, but rather, to do what is required. In momentous times, winning is required. Consequential Leaders are the ones who deliver victory when in the clutch, and they deliver an enduring victory built upon enduring values. If someone is a consequential leader, whether it’s in the public or private sector, following “the process” and “performing program management” aren’t sufficient for success. In fact, all too often, these terms are often used as excuses to avoid taking action which could result in failure. Consequential Leaders do what is required to win, no more, and no less. This is how both the Late President Geingob and current President Mbumba are in nature.
There are three traits of a Consequential Leader, these are: clarity, credibility, and courage. Clarity of the problem, awareness of alternatives and public perceptions, and clarity of message are critical in framing the issue, expected outcomes, and the proposed response. Credibility lies within the purview of those whom one is attempting to influence and lead. One has to take the time to build trust. You can’t surge trust, and you most certainly can’t surge credibility when there’s a crisis. It’s never too late to do the right thing. The credibility you build in the eyes of those watching you is essential when it’s time for action, for your ability to lead is directly proportional to those who believe in your ability to deliver results. Action without credibility is nothing more than performative bluster.
Courage is being afraid, yet still taking action, and not letting others know you’re afraid. Courageous leaders are steadfast in their beliefs and position. They take principled action and serve as a beacon of inspiration for all who see them. Courage is also the ability to recognize when “following and managing the specifications of a development project” are no longer relevant, are outdated, or on occasion, fundamental engineering decisions were incorrect and based upon flawed assumptions.
The best way to change the future is to create it and this is how we remember the late President Geingob and will remember current President Nangolo Mbumba, even though he didn’t want to rock the boat as he preferred to keep things as they are with the reason that he is here only to finish the term of office of late President Geingob. Even though I agree with him, I still think that he should have made some changes as a consequential leader. Nevertheless, I am glad that he kept late President Geingob’s Advisors such as Dr Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, Presidential Advisor on Constitutional Affairs and Private Sector Interface, who is an expert on constitutional law even when some tried to ignore her advises; Press Secretary Dr. Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari who is doing an excellent job as a Presidential Spokesperson and Presidential Youth Advisor, Daisry Mathias, who is actually very good in Policy Analysis, even though she is not often seen in public.
I therefore concur that the late President Geingob was good at talent spotting and leadership potential just as he was identified by the Founding Father, H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma, together with many others, including the current President Dr Nangolo Mbumba. I also agree with analyst Marius Kudumo when he said “what President Mbumba has brought to the Office of the President is humility. He was not overemphasising the tease of a Head of State, although he’s Head of State. So he’s an ordinary person. If you knew him, if you have interacted with him, the presidency has not gone to his head. He is the Mbumba that you knew when he was the Minister of Education”.
I recall when President Mbumba paid a courtesy call on the Founding Father when he was appointed as Vice-President and used to visit him, including now when he is hospitalized. President Mbumba truly brought humility to the Office of the President showing that he is from the royal family (Omumati gwo koMbala). He is the embodiment of a consequential leader who brought clarity, credibility and courage to the presidency but most importantly, humility from someone who was destined to take the reins of power and become the Fourth President of the Republic of Namibia as he rightly followed the teachings of his mentors and predecessors. Well done Your Excellency Cde President! I too extend to the Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, H.E. Dr. Sam Nujoma, my most sincere prayers and wishes for a swift and full recovery.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of my employer and this newspaper but solely my personal views as a citizen.
