Food For Thought

* PEOPLE from Ohangwena Region, let's unite. We are brothers and sisters, even if you are a member of Swapo or RDP. We are children of the same parents.

* WHEN I hear hate speeches, especially against whites, from some of our leaders, I start wondering whether we're one day going to develop into a true One Namibia One Nation where everybody, black and white, can live together in peace and harmony. We have many whites who were prepared to die for the total liberation of Africa like the Cubans and many others. We must start asking ourselves whether we are really contributing towards nation building. Are we building bridges between different groups in our country or are we busy pushing the people further apart? On this Heroes' Day, I want to pay tribute to all those comrades, especially Fidel Castro, may God bless you. Anton Lubowski, Che Guevara and all the fallen heroes, may your souls rest in peace.

Education

* WHY do some A-students get E and D grades when they go to other schools? Most teachers with low qualifications don't set high standards for students. The tasks and tests of poor standard are set for which high grades are given! These teachers waste learners' time. Wake up parents! How good is your child really? - Teacher and parent

* DO away with matric farewell parties, they are impoverishing the already poor people. The very parents are the ones who are unable to send their children for further studies. This activity is also driven by influence from amongst each other and can be stopped by parents themselves. Let school boards of high schools (Grades 9-11) start to initiate the discussion. Why not have a braai together with parents?

* TEACHERS are expected to dress like professionals but when you visit regional offices, especially Omusati, this sometimes is not the case.

Bouquets And Brickbats

* THE Namibian is indeed the country's premier newspaper. What your article omitted to mention is that the staff of the paper make it what it is. From editorial to classifieds to behind-the-scenes operations and management, your team has done a consistently brilliant job for 23 years. Your readers salute you. - Annie Williams, a fan since the first edition

* CHECKERS Klein Windhoek bakers, thanks that we get bread nowadays after five. Your service is great and the fancy breads are always on your shelf.

* MS JOHANNA Cloete (country director of Junior Achievement) and all our guests, P Gabriel, M Pupuma, T Shiimi ya Shiimi, A Kamupingene, the Potgieters, just to mention a few, thank you for taking time to come speak to us. Every word you said motivated and inspired us! On behalf of the Junior Achievers. - Elizabeth

* MINISTRY of Health, thank you so much for your quick response in handling the disaster of an accidental power failure at the Katutura Hospital. The actions of the medical superintendent, the matrons as well as the electricians really saved the lives of patients. Keep it up and God bless you! - Ndemty.

* DSTV/SUPERSPORT channel 220. If the Springboks lose you don't show highlights of all the tries scored against them but when they win you do! Very unfair towards All Blacks and Wallabies supporters! - Proud All Black

* NBC please tell us exactly what time the English Premier League starts. We don't want discussions in the studio while the game is being played. Time is wasted. - Angry Sport Fan

* A CALL on all dentists who speak local languages, please give us lessons on dental health in our mother tongue.

* MY appreciation to Dr Kagiso Moloi for informing us about dental health. This was the second year I followed your teaching on NBC Radio. Enkosi kakhulu buti wam.

* OFFER ignored. If it is true that the Namibian Government has ignored the offer from the SA government (about 100 maths and science bursaries), it is our right to know the reasons behind this. There are lots of students from Namibia studying in that country. The two countries can also enter into an agreement in which part of this amount is used to support such learners. We applauded the two governments for jointly opening a heart surgery centre in Windhoek recently. What an achievement!

General

* ACC please respond! I've noted with great concern that the ACC just ignores queries directed to them and you talk of service delivery and transparency! Get a good example from the Education Ministry.

* SO the Reiterdenkmal must go, what about the other two buildings (Tintenpalast and Christuskirche) of which the first serves as Namibian Parliament? Is it not contradictory? - Ongwediva.

* REPRODUCTIVE rights are human rights. Thus medical aid funders must cover all aspects of infertility treatment as a matter of urgency. - Dr M

* HELP please! Companies advertising vacancies, the requirements are out of reach of Grade 12s. Do something, truly.

* RESPONSE about firearm licences. Don't generalise about your problem, go to the station and find out about your application. Our time frame is within three months you should get a response, unless there is problem with your application. But your station will be informed. You should differentiate between the work of the Police and the NDF.

* I AGREE with the SMS about the speed bumps in Dorado Park. We need it in Taurus Street.

* DEAR editor: Can your source give a single name of a qualified and experienced Namibian doctor who has been denied a position in the public sector? The one who is fighting at the coast has failed tailor-made interviews four times. The most qualified Namibians would not go for a post for which a salary is equivalent to five days' work in the private sector. Please let's get real.

* CITY Traffic Police. Please advise your officers: Sirens are for emergencies, and not to greet your friends.

* CAN the Office of the Prime Minister relinquish the BEE initiative and hand it over to the relevant ministry, Trade and Industry, maybe then something may happen.

* JOURNALISM standards. No matter what Smithie put in his paper, at least he was brave enough to criticise our incompetent corrupt Government.

* CAN someone please investigate the mass dying of fish at Avis Dam in recent days?

* I AM very proud to see heroes and heroines are being honoured every year but what about instructors who worked tirelessly day and night to teach and show troops tactics to fight effectively. Do they not deserve to be awarded? They played a big role in the Independence of our country. Please do something for them.

* GLORY to the fallen heroes and heroines. - Eshuundeni

* THOSE people entertained freedom fighters and at heroes and heroines days now with songs. Who are they? Are they still alive? Let us call them and honour them. Didn't they give morale to fellow freedom fighters and all Namibians?

In And From The Regions

* WHAT a shame! No funds for Aus-Luederitz railway line, but Tsumeb-Oshikango railway enjoys all the benefits. The south will always be neglected. We can do whatever we want!

* WHEN can the residents of Ariamsvlei get a piece of land at Komsberg to plant their own vegetables, or near the Orange River. It's only 60 km.

* GOBABIS Council wants CU3 residents out without housing alternatives. Why can't they invite Swabou or NHE to build better houses. Small white houses are not a solution! Please visit other towns and see how the housing problem is solved.

Service Please

* I WATCHED Carte Blanch last night and realised how we are being ripped off by some attorneys in Namibia concerning debt payments.

* SHOPRITE please protect your customers. There are a lot of crooks in your stores. Please don't allow them.

* PLEASE banks, take in all the 5 cent and 10 cent coins from the streets. They are worthless and we can't buy anything with them.

* IN answer to the person with issues over banking privacy at Karasburg. It's the people who borrow that pay the interest to the depositors. So don't worry, even rich people go to banks to borrow.

* WHY are you no longer publishing the financial indicators?

* PLEASE let the newspaper be early in Swakopmund as we who work at Roessing leave Swakopmund at 06h30. That means we only get it at 18h00 the day. Send vendors with the paper to the bus stops. Thanx. - DF

* I AM very tired of long queues at FNB, Standard Bank and MTC. We must use other service providers to avoid these discomforts.

Politics

* I WAS shocked for not reading any birthday wishes to our political icon Comrade (Andimba Toivo) ya Toivo. It is like we are forgetting our true freedom fighter, the initiator of the liberation struggle, the uncle of the Namibian nation who never wavered. Namibian media wake up. When are we going to recognise his contribution to the liberation struggle?

* PLEASE advertise my concern: Government should stop Swapo-lising national events. It is why other people don't attend due to Swapo colours all over. The GRN should fight the economic war rather than hate and struggle speeches by Swapo leaders time and again at every event or meeting. Swapo, please do not cheat us. It has been 18 years of Independence. We know the history already!

* JERRY Ekandjo has become a tail-cutting and a blade-swallowing crocodile of Namibia. What ashamed me is a group of merciless and bloodthirsty mothers who should have protested, in silence, the politically drunken Ekandjo. Nkosi sikele'l Namibia. Amen.

* I CAN'T believe that Swapo doesn't muzzle (their Information Secretary) Jerry Ekandjo. His bigotry embarrasses his party and the whole country.

* MINISTER (Jerry) Ekandjo is very uneducated. Does he want me to deny my own brother water just because he belongs to another party and not Swapo? No, he must apologise. - Xabi from Rosh Pinah.

* WHILE addressing the Swapo Party supporters at Okakwa village in Ohangwena Region, Elijah Ngurare, SPYL Secretary, said: "We hear they are busy training some young people in some parts of Ohangwena Region and somewhere else to prepare them for military training in order to sabotage the Swapo Party Government." Has President Hifikepunye Pohamba also been informed by Ngurare? Are these NBC-broadcast allegations targeting the Police, NDF or any other security force? If Ngurare is part of the ruling party structures, why did he use the security-related information as a political, scare-mongering weapon against the ignorant, ordinary people? A serious probe on this mysterious boy, please!

* WHAT? Young people receiving military training to sabotage the Swapo government? Does Ngurare want an operation "gukurahundi" against the Ovakwanyama?

Labour

* NAMPOST, can you please tell us for how long do they recruit their casual workers? Because I have been working as a casual from 2005-2008 just for two month. Why can't they make me a permanent casual as they did to the other casuals?

* CAN someone please intervene and remove the dubious suspension of TransNamib employees without pay. The architects of this arbitrary rule are gone long ago and why should we apply their illegal policies. I ask God to free our company from the jaws of corruption. Lastly please introduce the new board members as we don't know them and only read in newspapers about them.

Letters Of The Last 48 Hours

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