Staff Reporter
THE majority of the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) were filled beyond capacity on Sunday when thousands of believers responded positively to the Church leadership’s decision to reserve the day’s church services for the remembrance and honour of late President Hage Geingob.
Bells tolled at all ELCIN parishes countrywide. Grief was palpable as congregants sang songs of bereavement, and various speakers praised the deceased President for his excellent leadership and dedication to serving the nation.
At the Onyaanya parish in the Oshikoto Region, Reverend Elia Ndishishi, former regional governor Henok Kankoshi, and Onyaana constituency councillor Gideon Shikomba were among those who delivered short speeches praising President Geingob and expressing sadness about his untimely passing.
Speakers at the Eheke parish in the Ondangwa Rural constituency of the Oshana Region included Reverend Joseph Shikuma, constituency councillor Abraham Kaushiweni, Annanias Kakonda (the administrator of the Swapo Party regional office at Oshakati), and Phil yaNangoloh, an admirer and vocal supporter of the late President. They variously praised the late President as a unifier and a promoter of peace and prosperity for all.
The leadership of ELCIN met on the 5th and 6th of February and decided that on the 11th of February, all church services at its parishes would be dedicated to honouring the late President, thanking Almighty God for all the blessings that Namibia enjoyed during Geingob’s reign, and entreating Him to provide equally competent leaders to rule the country according to God’s will.
President Geingob passed away at the age of 82 in a hospital in Windhoek on 4 February.
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