Namibia’s President Hage Geingob died while seeking medical care at a hospital in the capital, Windhoek.
Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba announced Mr Geingob’s death in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“At his side was his dear wife Madame Monica Geingos and his children,” Mr Mbumba said in a statement.
The 82-year-old leader was diagnosed with cancer and revealed it to the world last month.
His office indicated that he would fly to the United States for treatment before returning to Namibia on February 2.
Mr Geingob became president in 2015 and was currently serving his second and final term.
He had an aortic procedure last year and declared in 2014 that he had overcome prostate cancer.
Namibia plans to hold presidential and legislative elections in November.
Mrs Nandi-Ndaitwah has been chosen as the presidential candidate by the governing Swapo party, which has been in power since the country gained independence in 1990.
She is now Namibia’s deputy prime minister and, if elected, would be the country’s first female president.
(BBC)