Geingob confers State Funeral on Rukoro

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President Hage Geingob has conferred a State Funeral on the late Ovaherero Traditional Authority Chief, Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, the Presidency announced on Friday.

Rukoro died in the wee hours of Friday, after two days in a Windhoek hospital where he was battling the deadly coronavirus, dubbed ‘the invisible enemy’.

He was 66.

“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), His Excellency Dr Hage G Geingob confers on the late Adv Vekuii Reinhard Rukoro (born 11 November 1954 and died on 18 June 2021), the honour of a State Funeral,” presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said.

Hengari added that Rukoro’s remains will be interred on a date and place to be agreed to in consultation with his family.

“President Geingob extends deepest sympathies to the bereaved wife, Mrs Dinah Jorokee Rukoro, the children, entire family, Ovaherero Traditional Authority, the Ovaherero people and the nation at large, on the loss of Ombara Otjitambi Rukoro,” Hengari relayed.

Geingob described the late lawyer, businessman, corporate and traditional leader as “a sentinel leader who predicated his life to the cause of justice for the Ovaherero people. His death is a great loss at this watershed moment in our country’s history. May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace”.

Rukoro has a decorated career that spans six decades during which he served in various political and executive portfolios.

He was Swanu’s secretary-general in 1975 and later president in 1989.

Rukoro formed part of the Constituent Assembly where he was one of the chief drafters of Namibia’s Constitution.

At independence, founding President Sam Nujoma appointed him to the position of deputy justice minister, which he held until 1995, whereafter he was elevated to the position of Attorney General where he lasted for five years.

At the turn of the century, Rukoro left politics for the corporate world and joined Sanlam Namibia as its managing director.

In 2006, he joined First National Bank as chief executive officer (CEO) until 2013. He then had a controversial brief stint as CEO at the Meat Corporation of Namibia which ended in a golden handshake before he turned to his full-time role as leader of the Herero people until his untimely death.

Source: Namibia Press Agency