Africa-Press – Namibia. WALVIS Bay residents have participated in a programme to plan the construction of a promenade or walkway along Independence Beach at Kuisebmond.
Municipal staff members, joined by partners from Poland, organised the meeting last weekend, during which residents were invited to share what they would like to see along a planned walkway at Independence Beach.
The walkway would also be equipped with a number of facilities, including playgrounds, benches, outdoor gyms, and lighting, while also considering the free movement of those who use wheelchairs, among others.
The planners believe the community’s participation is important to give residents ownership, so that they will take good care of the facilities.
The project follows the signing of a twining agreement between the municipality of Walvis Bay and Czerwonak, Poland, on 24 October 2022.
The agreement culminated into the idea of establishing the Erongo Good Governance Project, which allows for participatory urban governance for resilient, safe and inclusive multifunctional public spaces in Namibia.
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes, who signed the agreement with the mayor of Czerwonak, Marcin Wojtkowiak, visited the town, accompanied by 12 members of the Walvis Bay Municipality, in October last year.
They learned about European Union best practices to obtain exemplary municipal services and case studies for innovative implementation. Sharing the outcome of Saturday’s planning session on Monday, Forbes said the community session was enjoyable and gave public engagement new meaning.
“We really engaged well together. It was not just a meeting between the public and us, but we also discussed it together. It was well attended, mainly by youngsters.
“I am a bit disappointed at the adult turnout, but we got what we needed. The team spent time compiling what we got from the public.
“We are looking at more social projects that would involve the public. This would give new meaning to ‘planning with the people’ and not ‘for the people’,” he said.
Wojtkowiak also stressed the importance of including residents in planning.
“We have a lot of experiences with public discussions. We would like to share it with Namibia. Involving the public in making decisions with the municipality results in having high-quality public spaces.
“It is also beneficial to avoid conflict by solving social problems,” he said.
Members of the planning committee said they were particularly impressed with drawings by the town’s children on what they would like to have at the beach.
The Erongo Good Governance Project, which will also include other towns in Namibia, is co-financed by the European Union within the framework of the European Commission-Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid.
The project will be implemented jointly by the municipalities of Czerwonak and Walvis Bay, while the Development Policy Foundation will act as a facilitator.
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