President Hage Geingob on Tuesday conferred an official funeral on the late All People’s Party President and Member of the National Assembly, Ignatius Shixwameni, who died on 10 November.

A media statement issued by the Presidency said under the powers vested in the President by Article 32 (3) (h) of the Namibian Constitution, read together with section 3 (1) of the Conferment of National Honours Act, 2012 (Act No. 11 of 2012), Geingob confers a state funeral in honour of Shixwameni, on a date and place to be agreed to in consultation with the family.

Shixwameni died at shortly after collapsing while attending a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security at Parliament.

The late Shixwameni served in different political leadership roles, including as Swapo party member of Parliament from 1995-1999, Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting between 1997 and 1999 and Swapo party youth league leader between 1987 and 1999.

In 2000, Shixwameni joined the Congress of Democrats (CoD), where he served as Member of Parliament and Party Chief Whip in 2000. In 2010, he co-founded the APP and was elected as the president of the party and a Member of Parliament, a role he performed until his death.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency