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02:56Last update on: 12 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Mon 12 Aug 2013
SMS Of The Day * MINISTRY of Gender and Child Welfare, TEARS are rolling down as I write this SMS. The killing of women in Namibia is now like reciting a poem. Are we really getting the protection we deserve while women not being treated as part of this c Food For Thought * SO the Zimbabwe elections were free and peaceful and not free and fair? Bouquets And Brickbats * NURSES at Katutura Hospital must stop wearing those big plastic sandals at work because they are not the official working shoes. We want to see you looking smart and beautiful with your full uniform. SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf
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NEWS - NAMIBIA
| 2013-07-24
Taxi strike turns nasty in Windhoek
Clemans Miyanicwe
LATE . . . Akende Sisamu and daughter Rosah wait for a taxi in Katutura’s Grysblok. Rosah who attends Khomasdal Primary school, was late for class yesterday. Also in the picture are some students and workers looking for transport from those few taxi drivers who did not go on strike.
Photograph by Henry Van Rooi
THE strike by taxi drivers which was called by the Namibian Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) was characterised by chaos yesterday as some drivers harassed and threatened passengers who had boarded taxis of the few drivers who did not to join the industrial action.
Several commuters were pulled out of cars and others verbally abused as they tried to get transport to different destinations in Windhoek.
Elsewhere in the country taxis continued to operate normally with some drivers in Oshakati reportedly saying they will travel to Windhoek to join others.
City Police spokesperson Helena Mootseng said even though taxi drivers were frustrated, it was illegal to push commuters around or to threaten them.
“Just like they have the right to strike, others also have the right not to strike,” Mootseng said.
She said City Police was initially informed that it was just a peaceful demonstration and not a strike.
Reports of taxi drivers pulling out passengers from cars were reported in Hans Dietrich Genscher, Omuvapu, Etetewe and Claudius Kandovasu streets in Katutura.
“Any taxi driver seen pulling people out of vehicles will be charged for disturbing peace, assault or creating a disorder,” City Police chief Abraham Kanime warned. NTTU president Werner Januarie said his union will not promote violence or incite taxi drivers to harass commuters.
“The police must enforce the law.
The union did not tell drivers to meet in streets and harass people,” Januarie said.
Januarie told the City Police that NTTU will only take responsibility of taxi drivers who are at an open field in Katutura’s Donkerhoek.
He said the taxi drivers will remain at the open field until their demands are met. The drivers are demonstrating against high traffic fines issued for breaking traffic regulations as well as other issues affecting them.
NTTU put the figure of the striking drivers at 900 although the figure appears to be less than that.
Elsewhere in the country taxis continued to operate normally with some drivers in Oshakati reportedly saying they will travel to Windhoek to join others.
City Police spokesperson Helena Mootseng said even though taxi drivers were frustrated, it was illegal to push commuters around or to threaten them.
“Just like they have the right to strike, others also have the right not to strike,” Mootseng said.
She said City Police was initially informed that it was just a peaceful demonstration and not a strike.
Reports of taxi drivers pulling out passengers from cars were reported in Hans Dietrich Genscher, Omuvapu, Etetewe and Claudius Kandovasu streets in Katutura.
“Any taxi driver seen pulling people out of vehicles will be charged for disturbing peace, assault or creating a disorder,” City Police chief Abraham Kanime warned. NTTU president Werner Januarie said his union will not promote violence or incite taxi drivers to harass commuters.
“The police must enforce the law.
The union did not tell drivers to meet in streets and harass people,” Januarie said.
Januarie told the City Police that NTTU will only take responsibility of taxi drivers who are at an open field in Katutura’s Donkerhoek.
He said the taxi drivers will remain at the open field until their demands are met. The drivers are demonstrating against high traffic fines issued for breaking traffic regulations as well as other issues affecting them.
NTTU put the figure of the striking drivers at 900 although the figure appears to be less than that.
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(August 12)
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