In the history of nations, certain dates are inscribed into the collective consciousness, not merely as markers of time, but as anchors of identity. For Namibia, the first week of February has become such a period. It is a week that begins with the quiet sunset of the third president, Dr Hage G. Geingob (February 4), and ends with the final rest of the founding president, Dr Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma (February 8).
The Young Observer dedicates this edition to these two towering figures. To the youth of Namibia, they were more than names on a ballot; they were the storytellers of our freedom and the engineers of our future. One brought us the light of independence; the other sought to build a house where every Namibian, regardless of tribe or status, could find a seat at the table. This is the story of the Liberator and the Architect: two men, one destiny and a legacy that now belongs to us.
Dr Sam Nujoma: The flame of liberation
The story of the Founding Father begins in the dust of Etunda village. Born in 1929, Sam Nujoma’s early life was defined by the rhythm of the soil and the cattle. This was not a childhood of luxury but of survival. It was here that he learnt the Namibian value of patience: that a shepherd cannot rush the rain and a revolutionary cannot rush a movement.
However, the quiet exterior of the young man who worked as a railway steward hid a smouldering fire. The Namibia of Nujoma’s youth was a land of contract labour and the notorious Odendaal Plan and the South West Africa Native Labour Association (SWANLA). These were systems designed to strip a man of his dignity while extracting his strength. It was in the Old Location of Windhoek that Nujoma realised a fundamental truth: freedom would never be a gift; it had to be a demand.
The commander of the people
In 1960, Nujoma began a journey that would last nearly thirty years in exile. As the founding leader of Swapo, he became the face of the struggle globally. He was a master of dual-track diplomacy, petitioning the UN while simultaneously leading the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN).
Nujoma’s leadership during the bush war was defined by unwavering resolve. He was the commander who stood at the edge of the wilderness and told a generation of young Namibians that they were capable of defeating what appeared to be a superpower. He famously survived multiple attempts on his life and lived in modest conditions in Lusaka and Dar es Salaam, never losing sight of the goal. On March 21, 1990, when he raised the Namibian flag at Independence Stadium, he wasn’t just raising a piece of cloth; he was raising the spirits of millions.
The legacy of reconciliation
Nujoma’s greatest post-independence achievement was national reconciliation. After a bitter war, he understood that a house divided cannot stand. He welcomed former enemies into a new administration, choosing to build a nation rather than settle old scores. He transformed from a revolutionary commander into a Father of the Nation, focusing on building clinics, schools, and a sense of Namibian-ness that transcended tribe.
Dr Hage Geingob: the architect of the Namibia house
Born in 1941, Geingob belonged to a generation that understood that political freedom was only the first step; governance was the true test.
During his years in exile, he didn’t just lobby; he studied the mechanics of the state. As the director of the United Nations Institute for Namibia (UNIN) in Lusaka, he was running a government-in-waiting. He was training the civil servants and lawyers who would eventually walk into the offices in Windhoek. He was preparing the blueprints for a country that didn’t yet exist.
The 80-day miracle and the modern state
Geingob’s finest hour was chairing the Constituent Assembly. Tasked with drafting the Namibian Constitution: a document that remains one of the most progressive in the world. Geingob navigated a room filled with former warring factions and did so in a record 80 days. He was a master of the middle ground, a negotiator who understood that for a democracy to breathe, everyone must feel heard.
As Namibia’s first prime minister, he modernised the civil service. He brought professionalism and systems-thinking to a brand-new state. He was the man who translated the slogans of the revolution into the policies of the parliament. He set the tone for a transparent, efficient government.
The Harambee spirit and inclusivity
When Geingob became President in 2015, he introduced the mantra of the Namibian House. He famously said, “In the Namibian House, no one should feel left out.” His presidency was marked by institutional transparency, and he was the first Namibian leader to publicly declare his assets. He championed the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP), focusing on effective governance, economic advancement, social progression, infrastructure and international relations.
For the youth, his legacy was inclusivity. He promoted young people to high-ranking positions, including the appointment of Emma Theofelus as Deputy Minister at age 23. He believed that the youth are the leaders of today, not just some distant tomorrow.
He was also the dancing President who interacted with you as though with his age mates.
Parallel legacies of excellence
The green president: conservation as identity
Long before climate change was a global buzzword, Sam Nujoma was a fierce advocate for the environment. Under his leadership, Namibia became the first country to include environmental protection in its constitution. He pioneered the conservancy model, which gave rural communities the right to manage and benefit from the wildlife on their land. He recognised that Namibia’s wildlife was a national treasure belonging to the people.
The transparency revolution
If Nujoma gave Namibia its soul, Hage Geingob gave it its skeleton through the systems and institutions that make a modern state function. He transformed the State of the Nation Address (SONA) into a marathon session of accountability. In 2015 and 2019, he held town hall meetings in all 14 regions, allowing ordinary citizens to criticise him and his government directly. This was governance by dialogue.
The hands-on vs the global summit
Nujoma’s leadership was physical; he was famous for work bees on the railway extension. Geingob was the master of the global summit, positioning Namibia as a leader in the green hydrogen sector.
Nujoma was the leader you wanted in the trenches.
Geingob was the leader you wanted at the negotiating table.
It is poetic that their departures occurred so close together in February. February 4th, 2024: Namibia lost the “Architect”. Geingob’s passing tested the institutions he built. The smooth transition of power that followed was his final gift and a final testament that his systems worked. February 8th, 2025: The Founding Father followed. Nujoma’s passing felt like the closing of a literal chapter of history, leaving the youth to carry the torch.
Both leaders shared a final battle: cancer. This commonality serves as a reminder to the Young Observer readers that even giants are mortal. Their struggle has turned February into a period of health awareness. It is a call to the youth to value their health as much as their heritage.
From Nujoma, we learn that patience is a weapon. He even enrolled at UNAM for a Master’s Degree in Geology at age 76, proving that the struggle for knowledge never ends. From Geingob, we learn that intelligence must be paired with empathy. His Namibian House is a lifestyle respecting those from different backgrounds and ensuring no one is excluded.
The second struggle
Both leaders spoke of the “Second Phase”: Economic Emancipation. Nujoma gave us sovereignty while Geingob gave us structure. The youth must give us innovation.
As the sun sets over the Heroes’ Acre, we realise that the 4th and the 8th of February are days of becoming. Sam Nujoma and Hage Geingob have written their chapters. Now, the ink is in your hands. To know where you are going, you must know whose shoulders you are standing on. The Week of Giants is not just a time to look back in sadness but to look forward with the same fire and intellect that built our nation.
One Namibia, One Nation.
