Lahja Nashuuta
The National Youth Council (NYC) of Namibia’s stakeholders’ coordinator, Muesee Kazapua, is making life- altering decisions at the youth-oriented movement without breaking a sweat.
The 43-year-old Kazapua’s meteoric rise from being a selfless youth in the Katutura Central locality to tackling major decisions in the Windhoek City Council chambers at Rev. Michael Scott Street as city mayor for two consecutive terms is a perfect example of what can be achieved with one’s perspective, resilience and a commitment to retain control of the direction of your life.
He served as a member of the Windhoek municipal council between 2010 to 2020, thrown into different portfolios such as being a member of the management committee, and deputy mayor. In 2019, he was elected as mayor.
“As community activist, I have been involved in activities cutting across various social upliftment programmes involving youth empowerment, support to vulnerable groups as part of the mayoral outreach programme involving the provision of food and other materials to kindergartens, and feeding programmes for pensioners” he said. While serving the city council, Kazapua launched a Mayoral Relief Fund, a vehicle through which the council could reach out to victims of emergencies and disasters as well as vulnerable communities.
“I’m a very positive person, definitely forward-looking and challenge-oriented. My philosophy in life is to do whatever I do to the best of my abilities, knowing that the results will be proportionate to the time and effort that I invest in it” Kazapua philosophised.
Committed to civil service, he stated that he has served in numerous positions for an array of organisations, but nothing parallels his work at the NYC, which is why he has remained there for decades.
His appointment at the youth body was a culmination of over five years of selfless sacrifices and volunteerism, he noted.
Kazapua is an expert on youth development, who gives government professional advice on youth matters.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Youth and Community Development (BA -YCD) offered at Namcol, and a six-months’ Certificate in Management Development Programme Africa intake 2021, offered by the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Kazapua further completed a Certificate in Local Government, and is pursuing a post-graduate Diploma in Management at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (Nust).
At NYC, he serves as the Head of the Desk for Youth Networking Exchange and International Relations.
In terms of the viability of his expertise to the government, Kazapua, a former council member of Nust and board member of the Association for Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN), maintained that his expertise in policy development assists in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the youth by providing valuable inputs into the formulation of policies and strategies.
His humble beginnings
Born and bred in the Katutura Central area (formerly Herero location), it was impossible for him to avoid being sent to the Theo Katjimune Primary School and later the St Barnabas Senior Primary School for his early schooling. Even in those early days, he already displayed signs of a would-be leader.
While other children of his age were playing on the streets, him and childhood mate Godhardt Kasuto, who is currently serving as a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, used to work during weekends and holidays as casuals at Woermann & Brock and Shoprite.
He would then save the money and buy bread for his and his siblings’ school lunchboxes.
It was, however, in 1998 during his senior high school years at the Augustineum Secondary School that his prowess as a community leader became visible. He was an elected member of the Students Representative Council (SRC now known as the Learners Representative Council – LRC) in the education portfolio, and by default he became the chairman of the school’s branch for the Namibian National Students Organisation (NANSO).
Said Kazapua; “I should be proud of myself today because it wasn’t easy. Challenges were there. I faced criticism and mockery from some of my peers, who thought I was trying to build castles in the air. But I and a few others who also believed in the cause knew that change was attainable. We believed that if young people in other countries were making it, we could also make a difference in our country.” The branch was mainly formulated to represent the interests of the learners at the school, whilst serving as the bridge between the learners and the school’s management.
“Through this branch and in line with the objectives of NANSO, we were trying to guide the learners through their school careers by ensuring that their educational needs were met, in so doing propelling them to meet their hopes and aspirations,” he continued.
Grooming new leaders
As the Head of the Desk for Youth Networking Exchange and International Relations, Kazapua vows to groom Namibia’s next group of leaders.
“In the era in which we are living, grooming new leaders is imperative. Our fear at NYC is that the departure to retirement of our current crop of leaders might leave a vacuum in management structures within the country,” he reasoned. “We are trying our best, although sometimes our achievements come through sweat and tears,” he added.
He further expressed joy with the 2009 enactment of the National Youth Council Act after the organisation formulated a Bill that was forwarded to Parliament. Before that, the NYC was operating under a Cabinet resolution of 2004. He said the organisation’s quest to harmonise Namibian youths is ongoing, citing that in 2007, the NYC launched the Political Youth Forum, through which it has managed to bring together young people, irrespective of their political affiliations, to network and share ideas.
“The battle right now is for our country to attain its economic independence, and it is vital that we the young people stay at the forefront in this fight.”