The long-awaited construction of a student village will finally be realised in the current financial year, higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi said in her budget motivation last week in the National Assembly.
A shortage of on-campus accommodation has been a central crisis, forcing many students to rent accommodation in communities near their universities.
Last week, Kandjii-Murangi confirmed government will prioritise the student village accommodation this financial year.
“One important project that will be undertaken by the ministry of higher education during the 2022/23 financial year is to ensure there is notable progress leading to the establishment of the long-awaited student village,” Kandjii-Murangi stressed.
Asked about the modalities of the envisaged student village project, higher education ministry executive director Alfred van Kent told New Era discussions with various stakeholders have started.
“We had discussions with student bodies on the accommodation issue. Many students have to travel long distances because there is no accommodation. Over time, we came up with a student village to accommodate all students,” he noted.
Van Kent confirmed the ministry already engaged the finance ministry for a public-private partnership arrangement.
He said both parties determined it is viable to construct a student village.
Due to the technical nature of the project, the ministry appointed a consultant to assist with such technicalities under a PPP arrangement.
“The company, called Nice, submitted feasible reports to the PPP Unit in the Ministry of Finance. We are now discussing that report, and that is where we are. We will start to engage investors when it comes to financing. The issue of affordability to students is one of the aspects we consider. It should be affordable to students,” he maintained.
There is also a technical committee that includes personnel from the ministries of finance, PPP unit, works and transport, the National Planning Commission, the University of Namibia, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia Training Authority, and the higher education ministry.
The committee will oversee the various processes, aimed at realising the student village.
Such a project under the overall policy development function for the higher education and training subsectors comes with the overarching role of making sure teaching and learning occur in a conducive environment.
It also ensures higher education is rendered by qualified and committed teachers who uphold student-centred approaches and standards, and utilise fit-for-purpose learning tools and equipment.
Meanwhile, student bodies have hailed government for pushing through the long-awaited student village to alleviate the crisis of accommodation faced by many students seeking access to higher education in the country.
The Students Union of Namibia (Sun) leader Benhard Kavau has strongly welcomed the project, saying it has been a decade-call for student leaders crying for a student village.
He warned the project must not be a mandatory arrangement, where money from Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), given as a loan to students, goes directly to pay rent without the student’s consent.
“The student village must be highly subsidised by the government so that students do not pay exorbitant fees of rent like what is happening now. It will not make a difference if the students’ accommodation will be expensive like this white monopoly accommodation joint ventures with absent landlords,” he argued.
Namibia National Students Organisation spokesperson Esther Shakela admitted the country is facing an acute student accommodation crisis.
During the launched access to higher education campaign that Nanso launched in late February, accommodation was one of the issues that were seen fit to be tackled in the area of higher education.
“A lot of students come to major towns such as Windhoek and Ongwediva to access higher education at Unam, NUST and IUM. So, the crisis remains to be averted; however, whatever step is taken has to be in the right direction in ensuring we are a bit closer to alleviating the problem of accommodation,” she remarked.
According to her, accommodation at the moment is pricey for students.
Hence, the crisis remains, and it requires deliberated targeted interventions, Shakela said.
Kandjii-Murangi last year denied corruption claims in the manner in which the student village project is being handled.
At the time, the minister was responding to an allegation made by Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda on social media that Kandjii-Murangi wants to award the tender to construct the student village through a public-private partnership arrangement.
Plans are the student village will be constructed on a piece of land belonging to the City of Windhoek in the Khomasdal suburb to address the housing plight of tertiary students.
– anakale@nepc.com.na