Rest in Peace

* THINK Africa. Brothers and sisters why? Children are our responsibility. It's our duty to protect and not abuse them. - A Zimbabwean on holiday saying RIP to the little angel Adriana Jacobs.

* WHILE President Mwanawasa was one of the few SADC leaders to call a spade a spade and (President Robert) Mugabe a dictator, the backwardness of his country shows he still had way to go before being a "great". At least he was building his country. Unfortunately, what is the norm in other countries is still a great exception in Africa. RIP, Levy!

* GOOD morning Namibia! Are the standards in journalism in this country so low that some people praise and extol as hero and legend: a person whose idea of journalism was to publish pictures of naked women on the back pages of his newspaper? A person whose idea of writing a commentary column was to unleash open invective and insults on other people? A person who specialised in publishing horrific pictures of dead bodies, some of them taken even from the mortuary? A person whose idea of a journalist's assignment was to spend all day perusing court records for sensational divorce cases and confidential estates of the deceased? A person who never had a proper tertiary qualification in journalism? A person who was never honoured with any national, regional, or international award in journalism? What criteria is used to bequeath the title of 'hero' and 'legend' on a deviant and provocative journalist? Eish!

General

* NOW that a study on racism in Namibia has been conducted, we would like the Ombudsman to conduct a study on xenophobia in Namibia. The incidences are rising and scary! Cases might soon be heading for the court as the Constitution and immigration rules are being knowingly disregarded by some managers of certain ministries.

* IN The Namibian of August 13 there was a story of a man who designs mobile robots. This man needs the support of the municipality and business people. His product can be used at school patrols, replace permanent robots during power failures and used at junctures where there are no traffic robots. This is a brilliant entrepreneurial invention. - Hafeni H.

* ACC should consider and exempt GRN drivers who would give lifts to students, pupils, elders, sick people, disabled people, poor ones and orphans and vulnerable children. It is awkward and unmerciful to leave behind the voters who are poor when you have an empty GRN car. Or it would be wrong to charge a soft-hearted driver with corruption who has shown solidarity to poor people. The people's government should express clearly on this and intervene on behalf of its vulnerable citizens.

* TO our national Police, please we have been waiting for our firearm licence for too long. What is wrong with you people? If you can't work with weapons don't pretend. Give the authority to the NDF. You cannot keep our firearms for so long without a reason. If there is one, say so. We have waited over a year. We are tired.

* GIRLS please stop dating and sleeping around with guys for their cellphones, money and cars, and making a baby when you are too young. Take courage and be women enough to work hard for your stuff. What he has you can also have, if only you follow your big dreams. Leave those things of wanting to be under the guy's spotlight and take and sit relationships. It is not good and people will start seeing you girls as gold-diggers.

* I HAVE been trying for the past two years to convince the City to construct speed bumps in Dorado Park. Can Mrs Elaine Trepper please advise on how you succeed in this type of request?

* IF one books a flight to Jo'burg, the most flight options per day, four, are offered by South African Airways. The resident airline operating from Namibia, Air Namibia, is only flying to Jo'burg to park the aircraft overnight at Oliver Tambo Airport and to return the next morning to Hosea Kutako Airport. Why doesn't Air Namibia use the Airbus to fly passengers to Jo'burg as they did with the 1st Boeing 747 after Independence? That Airbus should be in the air to make money, not parked for the whole day at the airport. Wake up Air Namibia.

* CAN the Diamond Commissioner in the Ministry of Mines and Energy tell us why only certain groups of people are allocated Diamond EPLs? The Ministry declared a moratorium some time ago. When I enquired, as an honest Namibian with investors, we were told local BEE had been allocated shares. Who are these people? Can their names be published with pictures so we know them? Why the secrecy?

* I'M very concerned about the elephants in Erongo Region. Please Government remove your animals from the residents because this is life threatening. The elders have to run to the hills in the middle of the night to save their lives. Please do something. - Concerned resident of Omungambu Uilage

* NAMIBIAN doctors don't respect a person's time. They go for lunch at 13h00 and come at 15h00. Is that not corruption? Please Ministry of Health improve on that.

In and From the Regions

* PEOPLE of the Karas Region remain the poorest in the country and we need regional leadership, be it political or civil, who devotes his/her time to developing the region and sparing the region from negative publicity. The Karas Regional Council should remember that we are watching closely when the position of the CRO expires.

* WHY is Henties Bay one sided? The Fish Festival has fallen into private hands. The ordinary man on the street cannot afford to attend do to high entrance fees.

* OUR Government look at us please. We are suffering. There is no water, no tar roads, no improvement in education and our location is in a bad shape. We want to achieve and improve at Otamanzi please.

* A big shame on the Swakopmund Hospital, the toilets are not working. They need to be repaired. The Minister of Health please do something.

* WHAT'S wrong in Namibia? Politicians are getting paid only for "clever" talk. When do places like Otjimbingwe really taste remarkable socio-economic reconstruction? When?

* I think that Namibian cops must always carry a search warrant, one signed by a Judge, whenever they are in search of something in our houses please. - Essien MK, Walvis Bay

* I WANT to tell our Minister of Trade and Industry and our government to look out with red eyes for alcohol. Because our young people they are using too much alcohol, the government must make sure that bottle stores close at 12h00.

Service Please

* TELECOM technicians, some of you need to learn how to be friendly and have good manners towards customers! I only asked for some technical advice, not for your loud voice ... your arrogance ... and your total lack of respect! - Fed Up

* CONCERNING Friday's issue, someone complained about Iway's services. How about saving those extra costs per month. Every Internet service provider charges a monthly fee for Internet, right? Well if you have a Bluetooth-compatible cellphone you can get connected free of charge at an MTC Mobile Home and use your phone as a modem to connect to the Internet. No monthly bills, only pay for what you download. - Morne Liebenberg, IT Engineer

* THERE is no privacy in all Karasburg banks. In life no one wants to be seen borrowing money but here you stand opposite those who are depositing.

Bouquets and Brickbats

* THREE cheers for the young ladies who man the pay points at Maerua Mall covered parking area. They are always friendly and courteous and always greet you with a smile. That's professionalism! - Johan

* HEROES' Day is approaching again, has Jackson Kaujeua ever been officially honoured with a hero's status for his contributions as a liberation musician during the struggle?

* FRIDAY'S editorial is not what I have come to expect from my favourite newspaper. To suggest that MDC should accept political assimilation by taking a non-executive position for peace is illusionary. Unless there is a government that can change Zimbabwe the people will suffer. Mugabe does not own Zimbabwe. - Steve

* THANKS for 'telling it like it is', as (opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan) Tsvangirai is now also guilty of extending the suffering of the Zimbabwean people who are supposed to rally behind him but are losing patience now.

* CONGRATULATIONS to The Namibian paper for being one of the fairest and most trustworthy print publications in our country. Released by 2008 MediaMetrics Data. - Morne Liebenberg

* TO Fruit and Veg City: Thank you for bringing freshness and good health to our doorstep. Thanks to your efficient and helpful staff. - A satisfied customer

* TOBIE Aupindi, when last did you have a meal at Halali camp? For the same price as the evening buffet you can have a starter and a decent steak at any Windhoek steakhouse! The starters we had at Halali were fried viennas and bread with melted cheese. We have visited Halali every year for the last three years and the best thing we have eaten is jelly pudding! Get real, the upgrade did certainly not include Halali's restaurant!

* I WANT to join the SMS writer about the national debating (schools). Some kids are going for the international schools debating in Washington DC. It boggles the mind to think that they have to raise N$23 000. Where's the GRN? My profound thanks to the Roessing Foundation for sponsoring our learner Rachel from Kolin in Arandis. - Makbright

Disconnections

* CAN NBC tell us when are they going to screen the English Premier League? We are tired of waiting and the league has already started. - Skepsel, Rundu

* WHY was there no Olympics for those with the mini package of DStv? Your response please.

* WHY is NBC repeating the Nigeria vs Argentina game three times? Hello! There's a lot more going on in Beijing at the moment! Please people, you expect us to pay TV licences, so we demand a better service. Can someone at NBC give a comment ?

Sporting

* I DON'T understand why officials who went to the Olympics outnumbered the athletes by eight. What for, Ministry of Sport? Were they all sent to go by you? Just to cash on S and T and be tourists in China. Is this not corruption? Now what did they manage for athletes? No medals.

* MR (Tom) Santfiet, don't make a mockery of yourself for the two remaining qualifier matches. Call all the foreign-based players so that you can improve your winning record and please the foreign-based players must be put in the positions which they occupy at their respective clubs. Then I believe they will perform to the best of their abilities. Good luck.

* TISAN games? We invited all newspapers, NBC, One Africa, to the games! Also hand delivered, faxed, and e-mailed the fixtures to them! We will now draw up a media release to announce the results to the media! Only Carlos Kambaekwa and Kavii had the decency to pitch up! We are now doing the job of the sports writers! -As for The Namibian Sport, we did not receive any fixtures, e-mails or hand-delivered mail to cover the Tisan Games held in Windhoek. We would have covered them had we known the dates and times. The Namibian Sport was in fact the only paper that carried all the stories when Tisan athletes competed in Malawi, prior to the Windhoek event. Results of the Windhoek event will be gladly published. - Sports Desk

Letters Of The Last 48 Hours

•  SMS Of The Day : Wednesday
•  SMS Of The Day : Tuesday