Hage Geingob sworn in as Namibia's new president

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with then Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, April 8, 2014.[Photo/Agencies]

WINDHOEK - Hage Geingob was sworn in as Namibia's new president on Saturday in the country's capital city Windhoek.

The inauguration ceremony kicked off at 9:30 a.m. local time at the Independence Stadium. Namibian officials and foreign dignitaries, together with thousands of citizens, watched the ceremony.

Among the dignitaries are Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Edgar Lungu of Zambia, Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan of Nigeria and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Transport Minister Yang Chuantang, also attended the ceremony.

According to the official agenda, a parade march is held at the independence Stadium.

Geingob, 74, the winner of last November's presidential election, is the third president of Namibia since the Southwest African country's independence in 1990.

A two-time Prime Minister of Namibia, Geingob first served as Prime Minister in 1990 until 2002. He has been the ruling Swapo party's vice president since November 2007, a position that saw him being nominated as the party's sole presidential candidate at the party's highly contested December 2012 elective congress.

Geingob was born on August 3, 1941 in the central-northern town of Otjiwarongo, about 250 km from the capital Windhoek. In 1964, he was appointed Swapo representative at the United Nations and to the Americas. He served in this position until 1971. During the 70s he was also appointed as the Associate Political Affairs Officer to the United Nations Secretariat (Council for Namibia) and was later appointed to the Politburo of Swapo.