NDN Staffer
PRETORIA, April 22 — Namibian President Hage Geingob has announced to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that he will be stepping down in less than two years. During a state visit to Pretoria, Geingob informed Ramaphosa that his term as the president of the Republic of Namibia will come to an end on March 21, 2025, and that he plans to honour his social contract with the people of Namibia by not overstaying his welcome.
Geingob, who has been in office for eight years, explained that he was happily announcing his decision to step down as opposed to doing it quietly, citing the need to maintain a social contract with the people. The presidents discussed the need for urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council to reflect global realities and enhance cooperation between the two countries. They also evaluated the progress made in the implementation of decisions and legal instruments between Namibia and South Africa.
On regional issues, the presidents exchanged views on broad areas of cooperation and evaluated the progress made in the implementation of decisions and legal instruments. They expressed concern about the mounting civilian deaths in Sudan and called for an amicable solution to the conflict. They reiterated their support and called for the Luanda and the Nairobi processes to be effectively coordinated, and that resultant commitments are adhered to by all parties.
The presidents wished the people of Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar successful elections, scheduled to take place this year. They also reaffirmed their solidarity with the people of Palestine and called for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to coexist independently with the State of Israel, in line with relevant UN resolutions.
The state visit was intended to strengthen bilateral relations, enhance economic cooperation, explore trade and investment, and identify new areas of cooperation. A tourism memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries. The two presidents agreed that, although the countries are each other’s largest trading partners in the region, more can still be done for mutual benefit in this purview.
Geingob, who is the incumbent Sadc chair on politics, defence, and security cooperation, appraised Ramaphosa on the security situations in the region, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eswatini, and Lesotho, as well as in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique. They noted the ongoing regional efforts to help resolve the long-standing conflict in the eastern DRC.
Geingob’s decision to step down in less than two years is in line with the growing trend in Africa of leaders adhering to term limits and maintaining social contracts with their citizens. – Namibia Daily News
