Mbumba sworn in as Namibia President shortly after announcing death of predecessor

Namibia has a new president in the person of Nangolo Mbumba who just hours after, as vice-president, had announced the death of his predecessor.

Hage Geingob, 82, died early on Sunday while receiving medical treatment at a hospital in the capital, Windhoek.

A veteran of the country’s independence struggle, Geingob had been diagnosed with cancer and revealed the details to the public last month.

The nation had lost a “liberation… icon”, Mbumba said.

According to the BBC, Mbumba had since been sworn-in as Geingob’s replacement and would serve in the role until elections due later this year.

“I am not going to be around for the elections so don’t panic,” he said at a swiftly arranged swearing-in ceremony at state house, just 15 hours after the death of the president.

Paying tribute to his predecessor, he said “our nation remains calm and stable owing to the leadership of President Geingob who was the chief architect of the constitution.”

“I take on this heavy mantle cognisant of the weight of responsibility.”

Geingob was first sworn-in as president in 2015, but had served in top political positions since independence in 1990.

The exact cause of his death was not given but last month he underwent “a two-day novel treatment for cancerous cells” in the US before flying back home on January 31,” the presidency said.

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