Seven regions to bid Nujoma farewell, Geingob’s family questions why same could not be done for him

The body of late founding president Sam Nujoma will be flown from the Khomas region to seven regions around the country, with processions to be conducted as well.

The regions are: Omusati, Oshana, Erongo, Kavango East, Zambezi, Otjozondjupa and //Kharas.

State memorial services will be held to allow the public to pay their last respects before the state funeral, slated for 1 March at the Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek.

This comes as sources close to the Geingob family say they queried why the government could not transport the late president Hage Geingob’s body to the regions last year due to financial constraints.

According to the memorial and funeral procedures programme issued by Cabinet secretary George Simataa and seen by The Namibian on Saturday, the founding president’s remains will depart from the Hosea Kutako International Airport to the Ondangwa airport on 20 February.

A procession will then take place from the airport to Okahao, moving back to Oshakati on 21 February. After that, the body will depart from the Ondangwa airport to Rundu on 22 February, where another procession will be held.

On 23 February, the body will be flown from Rundu to Katima Mulilo, and once the programme has been concluded, Nujoma’s body will be flown from Katima Mulilo on 24 February to Grootfontein.

Procession and memorial services will also be carried out at Walvis Bay, followed by Keetmanshoop on 26 February. Thereafter, the body will depart from Keetmanshoop back to Windhoek on 27 February, where a procession will take place through Independence Avenue and stop at the Swapo headquarters.

A memorial service will be held at Independence Stadium on 28 February.

After that, the body will be taken to Parliament Gardens and depart at 07h00 on 1 March for burial at the Heroes’ Acre.

“While it was the wish of government to transport the remains of the founding president and father of the nation to all regions, it is not possible to do so.

The remains of our beloved founding president will be taken to the place of his birth at Etunda in the Omusati region, where a state memorial service will be held for the respective regions,” reads the statement.

Simataa yesterday declined to comment on the statement, while executive director in the Office of the Prime Minister I-Ben Nashandi told The Namibian the public should wait for official announcements regarding the arrangements to be made soon.

Meanwhile, president Nangolo Mbumba has declared 1 March a public holiday in honour of Nujoma, who will be buried on the same day.

This is contained in a government gazette published on Friday.

“I declare Saturday, 1 March 2025 a public holiday for the purpose of the burial ceremony of the first president of Namibia and founding father of the nation, Sam Nujoma,” reads the notice by Mbumba.

Friday, 28 February, will remain a regular working day.

INQUIRES FROM GEINGOB CIRCLES

Meanwhile, The Namibian understands that the Geingob family has queried why Geingob’s body could not be flown around the country last year. The government at the time cited safety and financial constraints.

“Hage’s family asked the government last week why there was a cost discussion with Hage when regions were asking for his remains, and it said no.

The explanation was that in February 2024, the government didn’t have cargo planes and even though Angola offered to provide theirs, it would not be correct for a sovereign to expose their lack.

Now there are cargo planes, the ones that arrived in November 2024, so they can do the regional trips,” a well-placed source close to the Geingob family says.

Simataa yesterday said he could not comment on these queries without knowing the source.

Last year, senior government officials leaned towards blocking a proposal to fly Geingob’s body across the country to give citizens the chance to pay their last respects. This could be a safety risk and logistical nightmare, the government said at the time.

“We understand the calls for sending the president’s body into the regions, but we must understand the risks are just too many,” a government source told The Namibian at the time.

The committee planning Geingob’s funeral was allegedly briefed on this proposal, but the idea was not entertained.

Executive director of information and communication technology Audrin Mathe last year declined to reveal much regarding that request.

People calling for a countrywide tour during Geingob’s memorial at the time cited examples, such as that of the late Theo-Ben Gurirab and Mosé Tjitendero, whose bodies were taken to their hometowns and villages before they returned to Windhoek to be buried.