Namibian President Hage Geingob, aged 82, has passed away less than three weeks after the announcement of his cancer treatment. The sad event occurred on Sunday at Lady Pohamba Hospital in Windhoek, with his family by his side, as confirmed by acting president Nangolo Mbumba in an official statement on Geingob’s Facebook page.

Mbumba described Geingob as a “distinguished servant of the people, a liberation struggle icon, the chief architect of our constitution, and the pillar of the Namibian house.” He urged the nation to remain calm while the government tends to necessary state arrangements.

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Last month, Geingob’s office revealed that he had started treatment due to the discovery of cancerous cells during a routine colonoscopy and gastroscopy. Although the details of his diagnosis were not disclosed, it was stated that he would continue his presidential duties. Later, it was announced that he would undergo medical care in the United States, returning to Namibia on February 2.

Geingob, who served as prime minister for 12 years, faced health challenges before becoming Namibia’s third president in 2014. In 2013, he underwent brain surgery, and the following year he disclosed surviving prostate cancer. In the previous year, he revealed having undergone aortic surgery in South Africa.

Namibia, a former German colony that gained independence from South Africa in 1990, is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in November. Geingob was ineligible for reelection due to constitutional limits on the president’s terms. The ruling SWAPO Party’s presidential candidate, Nandi-Ndaitwah, could become the country’s first female head of state if elected.