Gurirab was a kind soul: PDM Youth League

WINDHOEK, 16 JUL – The late Theo-Ben Gurirab was known to be a kind soul, an attentive listener and leader who was not involved in any scandals during his lifetime.
This is how the deputy spokesperson of the Popular Democratic Movement Youth League, Hidipo Hamata, described Gurirab in a statement availed to Nampa on Sunday.
The former Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly was further described as having played a crucial role in shaping national discourse in both pre- and post-independent Namibia.
“It is not so much the portfolios he held that made him a remarkable figure in Namibian history, but the character that defined him,” the statement reads.
Gurirab died at the age of 80 in Windhoek on Saturday.
President Hage Geingob released a statement on Saturday confirming his death.
Gurirab served as Swapo’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1986 to 1990 and played a major role in the country’s liberation struggle.
He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from Namibia’s independence in 1990 until 2002 and thereafter served as Prime Minister until 2005, after which he then served as Speaker of the National Assembly until 2015.
He also served as Swapo’s Chief Representative to the United Nations (UN) for 14 years.
The seasoned diplomat held the title of Dean of African Foreign Ministers and in over 35 years in the field of international diplomacy worked with three generations of world leaders and five Secretary Generals of the UN.
Among his major achievements as foreign affairs minister, Gurirab led three years of negotiations that led to Walvis Bay’s reintegration into Namibia in 1994.
He is survived by his wife, Joan Guriras and two sons.
(NAMPA)