Debmarine has posted a colourful photo of the MV Benguela Gem vessel crew bidding President Hage Geingob farewell.
Geingob, who died on February 4, 2024, was buried at Heroes Acre in Windhoek on Sunday.
The photo was captioned: Our colleagues onboard the MV Benguela Gem gathered to bid farewell to our late president Hage Geingob, whose legacy will forever sail with us on the boundless seas of memory.
Geingob commissioned the MV Benguela Gem at the Port of Walvis Bay in March 2022.
In his speech on March 18, 2024, Geingob said Namibia has a wonderful story to tell. It is a story of peace, unity, and development. It is a story of perseverance and hard work. It is a story in which the mining sector has played an instrumental role.
This vessel will be deployed to recover diamonds from the seabed safely, with due regard to our fragile marine environment. I am very pleased to be informed by the officials that, due regard for the environment is indeed the main consideration for the type of vessel procured for the sea mining operations of Debmarine Namibia. As you are aware, in our Harambee Prosperity Plan II, we have undertaken to develop complementary engines of growth. As a country, we aim to maintain our competitive edge as an investment location for mining-related activities and leverage this position and expertise through attractive investment policy frameworks, to accelerate investments in non-traditional economic sectors. In this regard, Namibia is also well positioned to design and champion a sustainable “blue economy”.The raw minerals that Namibian is blessed with, belong to the people of Namibia. However, in a highly capital intensive and technologically advanced industry, few Namibians possess the means to exploit these minerals. – Geingob