Geingob’s funeral weekend in pictures

Namibia came to a standstill on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the funeral weekend of president Hage Geingob took centre stage.

Namibia’s third president, who died on 4 February, was buried at Heroes’ Acre on the outskirts of Windhoek on Sunday.

Thousands of Namibians flooded the streets on Friday for a military procession which transported the late president’s body through Windhoek.

On Saturday and Sunday thousands more attended his final memorial service at Independence Stadium and his funeral at Heroes’ Acre, respectively.

Geingob died shortly after his cancer diagnosis was made public on 17 January.

His funeral was attended by Namibians from all walks of life, representatives from 27 countries, and more than 18 heads of state.

This included several African heads of state, such as South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, Angolan president João Lourenço, Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi, and Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The British royal family was represented by the sister of Britain’s King Charles III, Princess Anne, while Germany’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö and Qatari president sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani were also in attendance.

During the memorial and burial, Geingob’s casket was escorted by former agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb, deputy prime minister John Mutorwa, former defence chief Martin Shalli, Geingob’s eldest son Mangaliso Geingob, official opposition leader McHenry Venaani, and Swapo veteran Ben Amathila.

Heroes’ Acre is a historic landmark in Namibia, known as the final resting place of individuals who are accorded the status of hero.

The site has nine symbolic graves (mausoleums), reserved for heads of state, one of which is now occupied by Geingob.
The ‘Unknown Soldier’ statue at the site will stand guard over the late president’s gravesite.