A veteran of the country's independence struggle, Mr
Geingob had been diagnosed with cancer and revealed the details to the public
last month.
He died early on Sunday with his wife and children by his
side, Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba announced.
Namibia "has lost... a distinguished servant of the
people", he said.
According to the constitution, Mr Mbumba will now act as
president as there was less than a year left of Mr Geingob's second term in
office. Presidential and parliamentary elections had already been scheduled for
November.
The exact cause of the president's death was not given but
last month he underwent "a two-day novel treatment for cancerous
cells" in the US before flying back home on 31 January, his office had
said.
Leaders from around the world have been sending condolence
messages.
Among them is Cyril Ramaphosa, president of neighbouring
South Africa, who described him as "a towering veteran of Namibia's
liberation from colonialism and apartheid".
Mr Geinbob, a tall man with a deep, gravelly voice and a
commanding presence was a long-serving member of the Swapo party. It led the
movement against apartheid South Africa, which had effectively annexed the
country then known as South West Africa.
He lived in exile for 27 years, spending time in Botswana,
the US and the UK, where he studied for a PhD in politics. Mr Geingob came back
to Namibia in 1989, a year before the country gained independence.
"Looking back, the journey of building a new Namibia
has been worthwhile," he wrote on social media in 2020 while sharing a
picture of him kissing the ground on his return.
"Even though we have made a lot of progress in
developing our country, more work lies ahead to build an inclusive
society."
Mr Geingob became president in 2015 and was in his second
and final term in office. BBC
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