‘Carrying Geingob’s coffin an honour of a lifetime’ – Venaani

The president of the official opposition party Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), McHenry Venaani, has described being one of the lead pallbearers of president Hage Geingob’s casket as an honour of a lifetime.

Venaani, along with former agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb, deputy prime minister John Mutorwa, former defence chief Martin Shalli, Geingob’s eldest son Mangaliso Fernandez and Swapo veteran Ben Amathila have been assigned to carry Geingob’s coffin during his memorial and funeral.

Responding to questions sent to him by The Namibian on Sunday, Venaani said being accorded the honour warms his heart.
He added that being given such an honour speaks to the relationship he and Geingobb had over the years, which was based on the high currency of mutual respect.

“It takes a lot of ruling and opposition to make peace. However, both of us have the understanding that, regardless of whether we are political foes, we will always be patriots of one country. I think being the lead pallbearers at his funeral confirms the doctrine that we walk on, that we work in unison on the project of Namibia and that our country comes first and parties come second,” he said.

Geingob, who became Namibia’s third democratically elected president in 2015, died as the first sitting president on 4 February.
His burial is underway at Heroes’ Acre on Sunday morning.