SMSes for 11 Thursday 08
* THANK God, there is no crisis in Zimbabwe. No need for our Government to say or do anything. This non-crisis will just spread until there is no crisis in the whole region. So why worry.
Food For Thought
* WHAT is wrong with opposition parties in Namibia? How do you expect to win elections if your manifestos do not try to address pertinent issues such as the exorbitant income tax that the current Government is entertaining. Wake up and come up with workable plans otherwise you guys will remain opposition till God knows when. Stop wasting time on cheap politics and plan for change, ‘Yes I know you can’.
– Shakes
Free Speech
* MARGARETH Mensah-Williams is just one of the hypocrites in the Swapo Party. If Mensah-Williams is honestly upholding the Constitution and laws, why has she been dead silent on political violence in this country perpetrated by Swapo Party members. Who told her that President Pohamba and former President Nujoma are being “demonised”? Is this not her way of looking for promotion by using the media?
– Yipipima.
* MS Mensah! If those callers abused their rights, fine! What about parliamentarians who keep on saying Mr (Jurie) Viljoen has participated in the killings of people during apartheid era without any proof? And the insults by Mr (Sam) Nujoma at Okatana Swapo rally against Mr (Ben) Ulenga (leader of CoD)? Who abused whose rights?
Politics
* SWAPO and the ANC, liberating a country gave you a mandate to rule for three terms. You should realise people need change and so must you, otherwise people will change their votes.
* THERE goes the ANC again. This time around it is their president talking about Swapo and ANC’s revolution under attack. JZ [Jacob Zuma], the time for machine guns has passed.
* I THOUGHT South Africa wants [ANC leader] Zuma as president because he is different from all other leaders in southern Africa? I guess I was wrong, because he is also calling opposition party members their enemy. Is that what we call a visionary leader? A leader who does not embrace all nations in spite of their differences? We are doomed.
* I AM card-carrying Swapo member. I joined Swapo in 1989, I also worked for the party newspaper Namibia Today for three years. Comrade Asser Ntinda, Kazenambo Kazenambo will testify to this. But my concern today is that does Swapo really need Mr (Jacob) Zuma to tell us that we should stop supporting the Mugabe regime? Do we need the ANC president to tell us that we should stop harassing the RDP. Come on guys, I believe that politics is aimed at advancing and bettering human lives. If someone comes with better alternatives give him the freedom to do so. Allow people to aspire.
– Greetings Justus Uno Veii, Lüderitz
* IT’S clear Swapo doesn’t know the difference between the party and the GRN. It should have hosted Zuma at Swapo offices or a Swapo paid venue and not State House.
* MR [Jospeh] Diescho – during difficult struggle years of the 70s and 80s your big mouth was never much heard. At least we know Gwen Lister, our late comrade Anton Lubowski, Ben Ulenga and many others.
* IN a democratic society, criticism can be used for a constructive cause like Dr Diescho does. I salute you.
* Is the RDP only interested in making unfounded allegations against our Swapo Party, SPYL, HE Cde [Hifikepunye] Pohamba and Cde [Sam] Nujoma Father of the Nation? But the question remains when they will start talking about things of national interest such as the deadly HIV-AIDS. – U2, Ongwediva
Zimbabwe
* I SELDOM agree with US President George Bush but I do when he said the tyrannical rule of Robert Mugabe must come to an end.
* IF our Namibian leaders and South African leaders had been brave and honest enough and spoken out against Mugabe three years ago, the taxpayers would now not have to fork out N$1,7 million in medical supplies today.
* ON behalf of the people of Zimbabwe l would like to say thank you to the people of Namibia for the gesture of goodwill.
– Proudly Zimbabwean through thick and thin
* AS a Namibian taxpayer, I want to remind Her Excellency, the ambassador of Zimbabwe to Namibia (Zindoga) to be mindful when neighbours say things are not green as she wants us to believe. She once told the world to respect the ‘sovereignty of Zimbabwe’, but she did not tell us to keep our tax money when she proudly accompanied the medical consignments from Namibia to Zimbabwe. Please stop being blindly loyal, African leaders.
– Seviour, Rundu
* WHAT a sad day it has become when the Land of the Brave is reduced to the Land of the Blind! Robert Mugabe has destroyed SADC and left us with doubt in our leaders as they are too scared to speak up!
Labour Issues
* A MUNICIPAL (street) worker is earning up to N$8 000 per month and a lieutenant in the army with matric and diplomas plus 15 years in the force is earning a mere N$5 000 Basic, and less deductions, will take home N$2 500. Would the Minister of Defence look into it very urgently? Aluta Continua.
Health Matters
* I UNDERSTAND that there is a new law which prohibits surgeries from giving medicines to patients. I request some clarification from the Minister of Health and that is: If I took my patient to a doctor’s surgery and the doctor wants to prescribe my patient a certain medicine but the patient dies either because the pharmacy is closed or the pharmacist is late or not available or does not have the medicine! Honourable Kamwi who will be responsible and whom should I sue for damages and compensation? Is the pharmacist, the doctor, the act or the Minister? Please Hon Minister you are honest and I request an honest and clear answer that can be understood by all patients without technicalities. Thank you.
General
* OFFICIALS you are disgracing our country’s beautiful name! First a South African artist is put in jail for over staying his visit, now a South African journalist is jailed for doing her work. How many criminals and murderers are walking freely in this country? What harm can taking a picture or asking what she is going to write about do? Let’s focus more on serious crimes! Namibia is admired around the world. Please stop spoiling our future relationships with other countries.
– Diana Onesmus
* I’M sick of pirate taxis in Windhoek. It is dangerous for us especially when trying to find a taxi at night. One doesn’t know which taxis are licensed from those that aren’t. The Ministry of Transport must do something before more lives are lost. Or else Christina Fonsech must come to Windhoek and clean up the taxis here!
* PLEASE our Government, do something about the gambling machines that are all over shebeens and bars.
* THERE are some Permanent Secretaries and senior government officials who dream to be treated honourably like politicians. They forget that they are mere civil servants. They sit themselves in front seats to be seen like Pharisees. At public functions they impose themselves on VIP seats to be served and demand to be announced. In their villages they seem arrogant and demand preferential/special treatment. I remind them to serve, not to be served.
* FOR more than three years the air-conditioner at Ariamsvlei immigration has been out of order. People can’t wait for the new border. Just fix it please. The officials are suffering.
Bouquets And Brickbats
* DEAR Namibian, I would like to express my disappointment at what happened on December 7 at a well-known bar! A well-known Namibian artist approached us wanting cigarettes. We indeed gave him three times! He came back wanting our cigarettes for a fourth time, we couldn’t give, as we thought that he was using his musical status to get what he wanted, worse of all: he created a unpleasant scene, which we didn’t like! Brother, we respect you, so don’t take advantage of that! Don’t be greedy, it won’t get you anywhere, rather compose more songs than grabbing cigarettes!
* WHY is ‘Women of my Life’ still in your TV guide while it ended ages ago? Try to correct it please.
– Concerned reader from Tsumeb
– Thank you for pointing this out. We use the schedules sent to us, and will contact those reponsible. – News Editor
* NOW that NBC TV shows English Premier League and Champions League I’m happy to pay my TV licence even if they are charging extra. Keep it that way.
In And From the Regions
* GOBABIS Police need urgent secondary training. I went to open a case and the help they offered me was wrong. They threw me in a cell and told me that I was disturbing them.
– NF Victum
* IF there is a clinic, why no ambulance at Dordabis? Send an ambulance please not a car for clinic use. Our people are also important like others.
* MINISTER of Youth and his deputy, Director of Culture and his deputy people are suffering at the national festival at Rundu. Do you believe in people eating bread for dinner as if there are no funds for the festival?
* THE Deputy Mayor of Karasburg during a meeting at Ariamsvlei could not properly explain why there is no development in the Karas area because they don’t know our needs.
* KARAS Regional Councillor Mr Paulus Efraim please don’t harass the people of Ariamsvlei by saying you will withdraw the projects if you find out they are RDP. My advice to you is withdraw, you already do nothing, did you know the needs of the people?
* IN Karasburg some NDF members open and hire shebeens. Is that allowed? You are also public servants. You must protect not destroy.
* KHORIXAS Town Council, what can we do for you to clean the town for us? We can’t celebrate Christmas in such a dirty town, we also receiving visitors.
– CM
* CAN the Acting Chief Regional Officer for Otjozondjupa do something about the diesel problem with the electricity generator in Tsumkwe settlement. This problem is getting worse every day. Please GRN help.
– Worried Tsumkwe Residents
Carte Blanche
* I AM all in favour of freedom of the press. However, Ms Nuttall’s failure to adhere to Namibia’s laws seems to be the reason for her arrest. If all visitors not adhering to this law are being placed in detention until bail is paid, then her detention was not unfair.
– A Marais
ACC Alert
* ACC help us please. Here at Rooikop Army Base 125 Battalion, we are forced to pay N$50 for a year-end function. If you fail to do it, you won’t go on leave for Xmas and New Year.
– Ndeshingwa
* ACC investigate the finances of Ngondo Primary School, please. Especially the one dollar of every month end.
– Concerned parent
Education
* MINISTRY of Education, can the Grade 12 ordinary level results please be available at least in the first week of January. It will really be flabbergasting if we don’t receive our results the same day or the day before registration.
– HK
Service Please
* DEAR NHE manager at Oshakati, we are very disappointed in your service. Everything there is so slow. We need a branch here in Rundu to serve us here.
– Angered Clients
* THERE is no safe place to keep goods for customers at Oshikuku Shoprite. My brand new shoes were stolen at their gate, while busy shopping. Please do something.
* CAN Standard Bank re-consider extending the due date for exchanging credit cards till at least Saturday? Most of us can’t make it during the week due to work!