Onesmus Embula
WINDHOEK – Following the just ended five-day national land conference, a group of architectural students from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) held a week-long public projection on the land question and related matters in front of the Ministry of Justice.
This was to bring the youth together and have a constructive dialogue in a public space. “We did not want a usual platform of formal discussions but rather an open engaging discussion whereby the youth present their ideas on topical issues especially the aspect of urban land,” says project coordinator, Marten Namupala. The public projection from last Monday to Friday was presented through a video with a discussion revolving around current policy sparking a debate on the process of attaining urban land, and whether it should be revised and restructured.
The second day particularly focused on the masses with the discussion uncovering common wisdom in terms of land ownership and later shifting to the context of masses that have migrated to urban centres for better lives. On the Wednesday there was little attendance, with the conversation centering on infrastructure and citywide planning issues with an appeal for government funding on infrastructure development including different funding models.
The fourth day focused on housing provision schemes and the affordability of houses in urban areas and different financial expenses with a heated debate about rent control. The final day started with exchange of ideas about the future of Windhoek and the portrayal of the “clean” green parts of the city to the outside world for tourism investment. According to Martin, this project is the starting point of a series of interventions within the city. The week-long debate endorsed the resolutions of the just-ended second national land conference.
“The whole purpose is for young people from different backgrounds to have discussions around burning issues in our contemporary society,” he says, adding that it is a continuous initiative that will be hosting a series of public discussions every two months throughout the year.
Martin, together with like-minded peers, are preparing to stage ‘Paper Pavilion’, a second phase to discuss policy framework at a deeper level in their goal to pursue solutions to the current needs scheduled for 5-9 November.