President Hage Geingob wishes all Namibians a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2018.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Therefore, I call upon all Namibians to exemplify the spirit of love during this festive period. As we spend time with our immediate and extended families, let us use this quality time to rededicate ourselves to being more appreciative of and loving towards the special people in our lives. We should also think beyond our immediate and extended family members. Let us think of the national family, the Namibian House and ensure that we look out for one another, in a loving way, during this period. Many of us will find ourselves on the road, travelling to our respective destinations. We should all ensure that we arrive alive by looking out for one another. This year, let us Harambee towards road safety by taking a united and committed approach towards ensuring all Namibians and visitors from abroad are safe and happy on our roads. Therefore let us all actively participate in looking out for one another as law enforcement, drivers, passengers and pedestrians.Our women and our children are the jewels of our nation. Let us show them our love and appreciation during Christmas by looking out for them and ensuring that they are kept out of harm’s way. I do not want to receive any distressing news about the abuse of women and children during this festive season. This is the season of peace and the season of love and I call on all Namibians to adopt a zero tolerance attitude towards Gender Based Violence and abuse of children. Let us use this Christmas as a stepping stone towards turning a new leaf in our treatment of women and children. Being amongst family and friends is always a joyful time, a time for laughter, a time to revel and celebrate. However, we should avoid the abuse of alcohol and other intoxicating substances during this time as these activities pose a risk to human life by contributing towards senseless violence, avoidable accidents and unnecessary injuries and deaths. Let us therefore endeavor to celebrate responsibly and ensure that this Christmas will be memorable for everyone. To our neighbors and friends from further afield who have decided to visit us and celebrate Christmas in the Namibian House, we welcome you with open hearts and extended arms. Welcome to Namibia and may your time here leave you with a lifetime of memories. Let us also take this time to appreciate our men and women in uniform, our emergency rescue personnel, nurses, doctors and all other professionals who will be sacrificing time away from their families to ensure that lives are protected and saved during this time. We laud and acknowledge your dedication and patriotism. Although we have encountered economic difficulties and setbacks during the year 2017, Namibia continues to make headway towards attaining its developmental objectives and we look forward to a rebound in fortunes in 2018. Through unity, peace, hard work and a love for one another, we will be able to achieve our monumental ambitions. The march towards prosperity continues and we are prepared to achieve more gains in 2018. Together, we can make the coming year and the promise it holds, a most memorable year indeed. I wish you all, my Namibian family, children of the Namibian House, a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. May the peace and love of this season be with you all.