Working with Geingob
Mathe rolls back the tape
Last week, President Hage Geingob said he was happy with the work done by, among others, Audrin Mathe - who kept the nation abreast with regards to proceedings at the otherwise chaotic Swapo elective congress. Mathe, the ministry of information's executive director, served as the spokesperson of the Swapo National Election Committee which oversaw elections at congress. Namibian Sun reached out to him to share his experience of working with Geingob in the 90s.
Namibian Sun (NS): When did you first meet Hage Geingob in person?
Audrin Mathe (AM): I first met him on 26 August 1989. There was a Namibia Day event in Katima Mulilo. He was with probably with Hifikepunye Pohamba, Nangolo Mbumba, Richard Kapelwa, Albert Kawana and George Liswaniso, among others. This was just before the 1989 watershed elections. He was seated at the head table. Somehow, he asked Liswaniso to invite two young people to sit on the stage. Liswaniso asked me if I was from the Namibia National Students Organisation [Nanso] and I said yes. I did not know why he was asking. It was myself and (now late) Arthur Mbala. That was our first meeting.
NS: How did you come to work for him and what was the designation?
AM: Sometime when I was working for the National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC], I went to interview him for a documentary ‘Namibia Revisited’ on the fifth anniversary of Namibia’s independence. I was ushered into a meeting room at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). After a few minutes, he walked into the room – filling almost the entire door frame. That’s how tall he is. He didn’t greet anyone. He jokingly asked: “Why did [Nahum] Gorelick (then the director-general of NBC) send a kid to come interview me?” I said probably because I am very good at my job. He laughed out loud. And we did the interview.
The documentary was aired the day before the independence celebrations. He watched it. I don’t know how he got my phone number. I was travelling. When I was in a network coverage area, I found a voice message that said something like “this is Hage, please call me back”. And he left his home number. I had not called him before. I was not sure what to say.
Do I say “hello Hage. This is Audrin. I am returning your call”. Eventually, I called. Luckily, someone else answered the phone. He came on the line. He said he watched the programme and he liked it because it reflected the developments that have taken place since independence. The next five minutes were just chit-chat. That is how we became friendly with each other. I would visit his residence now and then. He liked watching football – sometimes other sport that I did not quite enjoy. But I would participate out of solidarity. I joined him on several other occasions. There would be a bunch of young people like me.
Five years later, I was still working for the NBC - for eight years at that stage. I wanted to move. There was a vacancy that was advertised at the OPM. I applied for it. I began to work for him as a spokesman with the rank of deputy director. I became one of the youngest management cadres at the time. I was in my 20s!
NS: What light-hearted memories do you remember during your time together?
AM: On my first day on the job, I put on what I thought was my best suit. I went into his office to introduce myself. Just as I walked in, he noticed my very blue blazer and almost yellow trousers. He burst into laughter. "Mathe, we don’t dress like that here. You should wear dark colours." The next day, I went to open a clothing account at Edgars. My first assignment was to draft a speech he was to deliver the next day. I prided myself on my writing skills. Within a short time, I sent him the draft. I sat in front of him to explain my thoughts. He did not interrupt me. Then he said, “you see, I used to work for Robert McBride. He was a tough man. He taught me many things. He tore down the drafts I prepared for him. He would hold a cigar and say, 'Hage, this paper is not good. It should be like this and like that'.” When I ask you to write something with my name on it, it must sound like me. Please go and work on it a little bit. That 'little bit' turned into nine drafts and 23:00 before he was happy.
Sometime in 2001, he retreated to Swakopmund for his annual vacation. All executive support staff accompanied. [Geingob] used this time to catch up with the constituents. There was a lady who was dismissed from her job as a nurse in Grootfontein. I cannot remember the details of the circumstance. Out of frustration, she wrote a letter to [Geingob] to seek his intervention. Her story was painful. [He] called her. It was around 18:00 or 19:00.
The lady duly answered the phone. “My name is Hage Geingob. I am calling you because...” The lady interrupted him immediately. “Look, Hage Geingob does not call people like that”. She hung up on [him]. [Geingob] dialled again. This time, he spoke in Damara/Nama.
“Look, I am busy watching 'Generations'. Geingob does not even speak Damara.” At this point, [Geingob] gave her a number she should call regarding her dismissal from work. I cannot confirm how long the silence went on. That was Geingob in his element.
On another day, he asked me to call Nangolo Mbumba. I could not reach him. A while later, I gave feedback that I was unable to reach him. "Comrade Prime Minister, I am not able to reach him”.
"Who?"
“Mbumba,” I said.
"So, he is also your friend?" he asked. We burst into laughter. Just because he called his friends by their names did not mean I too could.
NS: What’s your take on the kind words he had for you on Monday, including the notion that he brought you up in some way?
AM: The president has a kind heart - however tough he looks on TV. He likes to appreciate the good work of others. I was really touched. I was standing next to the stage on Monday when he was talking. Someone motioned me to join him on the stage. I could not because I did not want to be emotional on TV. He watches television when he gets the time. One day, he sent a text message after I was interviewed on television. He appreciated how I was articulating the government's position. He has done so many times. But doing so publicly was more than an honour.
Audrin Mathe (AM): I first met him on 26 August 1989. There was a Namibia Day event in Katima Mulilo. He was with probably with Hifikepunye Pohamba, Nangolo Mbumba, Richard Kapelwa, Albert Kawana and George Liswaniso, among others. This was just before the 1989 watershed elections. He was seated at the head table. Somehow, he asked Liswaniso to invite two young people to sit on the stage. Liswaniso asked me if I was from the Namibia National Students Organisation [Nanso] and I said yes. I did not know why he was asking. It was myself and (now late) Arthur Mbala. That was our first meeting.
NS: How did you come to work for him and what was the designation?
AM: Sometime when I was working for the National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC], I went to interview him for a documentary ‘Namibia Revisited’ on the fifth anniversary of Namibia’s independence. I was ushered into a meeting room at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). After a few minutes, he walked into the room – filling almost the entire door frame. That’s how tall he is. He didn’t greet anyone. He jokingly asked: “Why did [Nahum] Gorelick (then the director-general of NBC) send a kid to come interview me?” I said probably because I am very good at my job. He laughed out loud. And we did the interview.
The documentary was aired the day before the independence celebrations. He watched it. I don’t know how he got my phone number. I was travelling. When I was in a network coverage area, I found a voice message that said something like “this is Hage, please call me back”. And he left his home number. I had not called him before. I was not sure what to say.
Do I say “hello Hage. This is Audrin. I am returning your call”. Eventually, I called. Luckily, someone else answered the phone. He came on the line. He said he watched the programme and he liked it because it reflected the developments that have taken place since independence. The next five minutes were just chit-chat. That is how we became friendly with each other. I would visit his residence now and then. He liked watching football – sometimes other sport that I did not quite enjoy. But I would participate out of solidarity. I joined him on several other occasions. There would be a bunch of young people like me.
Five years later, I was still working for the NBC - for eight years at that stage. I wanted to move. There was a vacancy that was advertised at the OPM. I applied for it. I began to work for him as a spokesman with the rank of deputy director. I became one of the youngest management cadres at the time. I was in my 20s!
NS: What light-hearted memories do you remember during your time together?
AM: On my first day on the job, I put on what I thought was my best suit. I went into his office to introduce myself. Just as I walked in, he noticed my very blue blazer and almost yellow trousers. He burst into laughter. "Mathe, we don’t dress like that here. You should wear dark colours." The next day, I went to open a clothing account at Edgars. My first assignment was to draft a speech he was to deliver the next day. I prided myself on my writing skills. Within a short time, I sent him the draft. I sat in front of him to explain my thoughts. He did not interrupt me. Then he said, “you see, I used to work for Robert McBride. He was a tough man. He taught me many things. He tore down the drafts I prepared for him. He would hold a cigar and say, 'Hage, this paper is not good. It should be like this and like that'.” When I ask you to write something with my name on it, it must sound like me. Please go and work on it a little bit. That 'little bit' turned into nine drafts and 23:00 before he was happy.
Sometime in 2001, he retreated to Swakopmund for his annual vacation. All executive support staff accompanied. [Geingob] used this time to catch up with the constituents. There was a lady who was dismissed from her job as a nurse in Grootfontein. I cannot remember the details of the circumstance. Out of frustration, she wrote a letter to [Geingob] to seek his intervention. Her story was painful. [He] called her. It was around 18:00 or 19:00.
The lady duly answered the phone. “My name is Hage Geingob. I am calling you because...” The lady interrupted him immediately. “Look, Hage Geingob does not call people like that”. She hung up on [him]. [Geingob] dialled again. This time, he spoke in Damara/Nama.
“Look, I am busy watching 'Generations'. Geingob does not even speak Damara.” At this point, [Geingob] gave her a number she should call regarding her dismissal from work. I cannot confirm how long the silence went on. That was Geingob in his element.
On another day, he asked me to call Nangolo Mbumba. I could not reach him. A while later, I gave feedback that I was unable to reach him. "Comrade Prime Minister, I am not able to reach him”.
"Who?"
“Mbumba,” I said.
"So, he is also your friend?" he asked. We burst into laughter. Just because he called his friends by their names did not mean I too could.
NS: What’s your take on the kind words he had for you on Monday, including the notion that he brought you up in some way?
AM: The president has a kind heart - however tough he looks on TV. He likes to appreciate the good work of others. I was really touched. I was standing next to the stage on Monday when he was talking. Someone motioned me to join him on the stage. I could not because I did not want to be emotional on TV. He watches television when he gets the time. One day, he sent a text message after I was interviewed on television. He appreciated how I was articulating the government's position. He has done so many times. But doing so publicly was more than an honour.
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