SMS Of Monday 17 August 2009
* NAMIBIA, land of ‘little somethings’, homeland of the Chinese bribes. You have become a byword for sleaze. Comrade President with failed anti-graft promises, tell me whose turn to eat am I voting for in November?
Food For Thought
* EISH! Why not elections every year? Even the Lubango dungeon victims will now benefit as war veterans AND those who worked in the South West African Police, but who secretly worked for the cause of the struggle. Who will determine this? Well, good for them, living gets tougher every day. To spend N$1,1 billion on this matter – caring for veterans or election propaganda? Voters, don’t be influenced by all the nice things happening in election year!
* THE alcohol problem in our country is caused by GRN as policy and lawmakers. In countries like Sweden not everyone can sell alcohol. In fact only the government sells it at shops called ‘System Bolaget’. But here we say shebeens send kids to school. So GRN give jobs, affordable schools and stop being afraid of shebeen owners.
* THIS country is unbelievable. You kill, you rape, steal, embezzle millions and even make lawyers millionaires. Free!!
Politics
* I THANK His Excellency for his action against (public service) commissioner Teckla. Well done, but I have a question. What is the difference between suspending one for investigation and calling back one (Kapia) under prosecution sir?
– Elias
* I CHALLENGE The Namibian to give the readers the correct and clear version of the action taken against Ms Teckla Lameck by President Hifikepunye Pohamba. The article on the front page of your Friday edition stated that President Hifikepunye Pohamba requested Lameck “to temporarily absent herself from duties as a Commissioner of the Public Service Commission....”. “Request”? Do I have it right? The cancer of inconsistence in the Pohamba administration is apathetically eating up all the left-overs of good governance in Namibia. Here you have one suspect being “requested” not to report to work pending investigation of corruption while the other suspect involved in the case of a similar nature was directly shown the door without fail. No word was minced in the action taken against Lt. General Martin Shalli by the Head of State. Where is the loyalty of Hon. Minister of Presidential Affairs?
– Wala wOkomongwa
* AS A born free there is no way I can vote for Swapo with the likes of Mr Iilonga, Nekundi, Kapia, Kashipuulwa, Lamecks being around. Anything good happening in our country is atributed to the democratic values we all up hold as a nation. And not by so undemocratic and sometimes outright ridiculous statements uttered by our so called wannabe leaders. Their statements are bordering on desperation. I’m not that naive and ignorant to keep these people in power. If you have turned 18 you have the power to get them out by not giving them your vote. Let them rely on the uninformed rural masses as usual.
* MR PETER Iilonga (Deputy Minister of Labour), it’s very important to protect Namibian products for example Otombo, Ombike, Kashipembe, etc.
* NOW, comrade Iilonga … what do you have to say about (alleged) shebeens at the Suiderhof Military Base?
Reason to fear?
* IF IT is true about Iilonga’s remarks at Keetmans then there is reason to fear for the future of this beautiful country. Will he ever be reprimanded? Maybe promoted instead. And need I also say I’m not white?
* IILONGA is a disgrace to this country. In fact he is sabotaging the progress made over the last 19 years. If this is the quality of our Ministers then disaster is awaiting us. We all need to be concerned about such rubbish.
* COMRADE Iilonga … we salute you! You are a hero, no matter what they say. Viva Ekanda.
* WHAT is going on in this country, first SPYL openly criticises Mininistry of Environment & Tourism for allegedly sabotaging National Projects and the President declines to officially open the Ai-Ais resort, and then there comes our Founding President availing himself to open the resort. Can someone tell me what is the relationship between Founding President and the SPYL, because they seem to have a lot of power, criticising Cabinet Ministers left, right and centre and still our President is quiet on the issue. I hope we are not talking about a possible time bomb.
– Concerned Citizen
* MADAME Chase, you have rightly claimed that you apparently stand for the principles of dignity, justice and what have you. Now please go in peace. CoD has the right to recall you, as you were in Parliament on the party ticket. Allow the probe to clear your name. Don’t tarnish the good name of CoD.
* IT seems the CoD is intent on shooting itself in the foot, if not the head. Now they are recalling their most able parliamentarian. What really lies behind this all. I wonder if some CoDs are not up to something? Like getting homesick for Swapo? Just a thought. Otherwise there’s just no logic to what they’re doing. It almost seems they want to disintegrate the CoD.
* WITH reference to article on page 3 – President Pohamba is highly unlikely to be on the Swapo Party list. He is the party’s presidential candidate. In the past Swapo has not placed its presidential candidate on the party list, because the Swapo candidate was seen as a certain winner. The President does not have a seat in the National Assembly.
Bouquets And Brickbats
* DEAR Editor. I know that people have the right to say what they want in your newspaper. But does this include insulting others as you allowed the writer on page 27 to do. Knowing when to say what should apply to everyone. That writer should have been allowed to make his point without the insults. It’s really a pity you allowed it because it means you accept the language used.
– Green
* TO OUR beloved GRN. I plead that the policy that says that our parents should not be put under their children’s Medical Aid should be re-looked at. Really those people are suffering as some of them had never worked before and once they are sick they can’t afford those thousands. Allow them to benefit from their children.
– Justy
* I WOULD like to request the writers of the edition of Namibia’s most eligible bachelors to look up the definition of an eligible bachelor. The section would have worked if some of the featured gentlemen were actually bachelors.
– Eligible Bachelorette
– A bachelor is anyone who is not married. How about sending us a few ideas on Namibia’s most eligible bacholerettes? – News Editor
Education
* TEACHERS, please change. We are tired of being treated unequally in Government schools. Our parents are always required to pay the school fees but the manners of teachers are killing us. If things were possible we wish we had weapons to fight for ourselves. Please teachers at Omuve JSS Ohangwena Region we are tired.
– Selly
The Flu
Masks and screening needed.
* ‘SWINE flu’ is real. Do not tell the Namibians not to panic, it’s the same you told us about AIDS. Dr Kamwi stop talking and get your staff prepared.
n TO THE Ministry of Health and Social Services! We are concerned about swine flu, and from our point of view, we think it will be better if during Ongwediva annual trade fair, all visitors crossing the border (from south to north) are tested at the Police roadblock to prevent infection. Anybody with swine flu must be treated before coming to the north.
– Emilia S and Hilma, Oshakati
Service Please
* Minsave at Ohangwena improve your customer service – especially waitressess please.
* NBC/FNB, please wake up and advertise the correct copper price. If in doubt, watch CNBC or Bloomberg TV.
* NBC Radio, please will you think about the radio service of Otjiherero at Kamanjab, why jump from Outjo to Opuwo.
– Concerned Kamanjab resident
* I WOULD like to ask the office of the Prime Minister or anyone to give me feedback on this. I am a public servant, l applied for this coming election from my ministry. When the results come out, my name was also included on the list. But now I am not going simply because my office is busy. It’s only the supervisors who are going. Happening at MoE Omaheke! Now is it fair like that?
– Give Us A Chance
* MINISTRY of Lands and Resettlement. What are we doing about //Naosan /Aes?
* PLEASE somebody at headquarters help us we are also human beings. We are casual workers at TransNamib without overtime payments for Saturday and Sundays. What does the new labour law say about this?
– Concerned Worker
* I AM shopping wrong at Shoprite in Independence Avenue. I was not pleased, having had to pack my groceries into plastic bags myself as the poor lady at the till had no one assisting her and had to deal with an ever growing queue. Shoprite, improve.
– Shopaholic
* I REALLY support those people who are crying about employees who have bad attitudes towards customers. If you are tired give a chance to our unemployed youth. Please to the supervisor and manager of all clothing shops, Chicken City and Clicks here in Swakopmund you must act now. Give employees the right training.
– Bevee
* NEWSDESK, can your office please approach Mr Thabiso Mampofu, the representative of free-to-air television service in Namibia? I want to know why e-tv has been scrambled. What he said as reported in the Informanté (last week’s edition) is not that clear to the public. Is there still hope for e-tv to return or is it permanent goodbye? Please give clarity on this situation.
– Ella du Plessis
– Can anyone help? – News Editor
* CAN we please get answers as to why we, the physics for life sciences students, have to sit in a dark, ill-equipped main hall. What we see with our naked eyes is that we are the only science group forced to be in the main hall, we did not pay to sit in such dark places. We are tired, until when will we be the less privileged science students?
In And From The Regions
* ANYWAY we can’t blame the Karas Governor for dozing off on the regional funds as he was not elected into that seat but simply lobbied into it based on tribal grounds, we learnt. Fellow Nama-speaking Karas residents let’s open our eyes and elect or even lobby our leaders based on competency and not simply because they are Namas. Our governor has failed us.
* KARAS definitely needs a change of guard, if we seriously want to tap the wealth of the region and this requires vigilant voting.
– BAB
* WHY if Caprivians apply for a job at Kavango, they say they will never employ you, why? The governor should answer this.
* COUNCILLOR of Okatana constituency, in Oshana Region. We want electricity in Otuwala village. All the surrounding villages have electricity.
– Kapulenawa
General
* I’M tired of people judging us because we are gay/lesbians. We are happy and we feel safe being together and our feelings need to be respected as well!
– FrmLB
* TO the armed robbers, you got what you wanted from our handbags, bring back our personal documents please. The worst thing was you even robbed the personal documents of a dead person. In our culture it is taboo and it means you are inviting deaths in your family. Better you give our stuff to any nearest Police station.
* I SINCERELY hope Mr Visser and his beautiful Labrador never have to visit the Swakop Police station. You failed to print my SMS last week about dropping off a man on crutches there.
* PLEASE people who are unemployed let’s not vote for Swapo so that we can change the government.
* CORRUPTION is the cause of poverty in Africa.
– Samalama
* CAN someone tell us how tax is calculated when you are refunded for underpayment? I received a back-pay cheque of 6 160 and taxed 2 566!
* SOME councillors are too old to develop their constituencies. Look at the gravel streets in Hakahana and Wanaheda, Windhoek. Do these councillors feel proud when driving in them? New blood could be better.
* DEAR Namibians, cry the beloved country.
* WHY does The Namibian place English advertisements in the Oshiwambo section of the paper? A large percentage of your readership just skip these pages, thus compromising the value of those advertisements, whose target market probably wasn’t Oshiwambo speakers anyway.
– We have found that people read adverts on whichever page they appear. There is a universality to advertisments. While not everyone reads Oshiwambo, they do stop and read the ads which, as far as we are aware, are aimed at all Namibians. As an aside, more than half of the Namibian population lives in the North. – News Editor
* HAS Natis Testing Centre become a money-making centre? Do the officers deliberately let you fail so you can come back again? They practically interrogate people who go for learners’ driving licence and don’t give you chance to explain a road sign or duties of a driver. Only one lucky person passed the test for six hours I was waiting for my turn to be interrogated like in a court of law. Please test the people from Learners’ Book and not deliberately let people fail so Natis can make more money.
– Matheus
* JOB discrimination based on surname. I was married and I got divorced. I tried to apply for a position but I was turned down on the spot. According to certain companies’ international representatives they don’t allow two individuals with the same surname. The sadness of all is my wife refuses to change her surname. I am nailed because of my surname. Please give me some legal advice.
* UNTIL when are we going to be blind and deaf? Let’s move for change people!
* NAMIBIA, tell me who is this Rambler appearing in The Namibian newspaper? What nonsense is he or she telling me the reader? Are these Ramblers insiders or outsiders of The Namibian newspaper?
– Covy
In Response
* SOMEBODY wrote an SMS Friday about too many people leaving the NQA and that it be investigated. The issue is at least 90% of its employees are graduates, many of whom are still paying off their loans (banks and MoE). The biggest problem is job security due to contract system on top of that Management will tell you they are operating in a non-unionised environment and prefer it that way. Even the NQA Council realised the problem and hired a consultant to interview present and past staff. The findings confirmed that people were justifiably unhappy and that the management should either be trained or changed. The report is just collecting dust now and as long as that continues you will see more job adverts for NQA as people are not happy and the taxpayer will keep paying!
* IN support of the sms in Friday’s newspaper on Katutura hospital, it’s high time that Hon. Kamwi approves a special budget to replace the current ill-functioning lifts, it takes 40 min if not an hour for one to open, the patient lifts have been down for weeks and now they have to be squeezed in other lifts with visitors. It is very frustating and unhealthy, considering contagious infections. What more can the hospital management do given the annual budget allocation?