THE NATION
The death of Namibia’s President and founding Prime Minister Hage Geingob has evoked memories of African leaders who died while in office. While many African leaders successfully completed their tenures, some others passed on while in office.
There are those whose cause of death are known while some others remain ‘undisclosed’ or ‘unknown.
However checks by The Nation revealed most African Presidents who died in office passed on due to long-term illnesses, heart conditions, cancer and even assassinations.
Here are African leaders who died in office:
*Hage Geingob (2024): Namibia’s President Hage Geingob died at 82. Geingob, who was serving his second term as president, had revealed that he was receiving treatment for cancer.
He died at Lady Pohamba Hospital with wife and children by his side. First elected President in 2014, Geingob was Namibia’s longest serving Prime Minister and third President. In 2013, Geingob underwent brain surgery, and last year he underwent an aortic operation in neighbouring South Africa.
The 82-year-old president who also served for 12 years as Prime Minister, had a history of health problems that preceded his election as Namibia’s third president in 2014.
*John Magufuli – Tanzania’s President John Magufuli died at 61 from a heart disease that had plagued him for a decade.
He was Tanzania’s first president to die while in office.
*Michael Sata (2014) – Michael Sata died at 77 of an undisclosed illness in the United Kingdom on October 28th, 2014.After his election in 2011, rumors about his failing health spread across Zambia.
*Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi – (2020) – Pierre was President of Burundi for 15 years and had no plans of stepping down.However, he died when his successor, Evariste Ndayishimiye, was about to be sworn into office. He came into office at 40 and bowed out at 55 years.
Nkurunzinza suddenly passed on of a heart attack in June 2020.
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