SMS Of Wednesday 12 August 2009
* IT was a good thing when NBC changed its look when broadcasting news but honestly speaking the presenters are not serious with news anymore. Instead of reading what is reported, they mix news with their opinions and views on certain stories. This is unethical and unprofessional conduct. When there are two presenters they like talking facing each other instead of facing the camera so that viewers can grasp what is being said. Please stop toy-toying with news.
Food For Thought
Think before you vote
* NAMIBIANS, read the papers! The failures in our society are brought on by the decisions politicians make! Cast your votes cleverly! Let’s remove the fat cats and bring about change! “Yes, we can” worked for Obama, why not for us?
* NAMIBIANS, wake up! We do not have enough schools, yet we need another museum? We do not have stocked hospitals or clinics, yet we have to pay more taxes and levies on fuel? We are paying more, but services are getting less and less?
Who’s Boozing Who?
* WHAT a proud day for me to be a ‘White Namibian’. I am honoured to have been born in my country and, after the Deputy Minister’s speech, I feel proud to be a Namibian. I mean who would not feel proud, I am officially branded as ‘the enemy’, striking fear into the heart of the youth with my ABMD, ‘Alcoholic Beverage of Mass Destruction’. What will ‘the enemy’ think of next? I would like to ask the Minister if by any chance he would consider the possibility of thinking of possible solutions to the numerous problems facing Namibia, instead of thinking up ridiculous accusations. I think we all agree that alcohol is a serious problem but to brand me ‘the enemy’ and accuse me of destroying the youth to gain power, I am sorry to say Minister you do not deserve your position if that is the best you can come up with.
– Andre, Swakopmund
* DEPUTY Minister Peter Iilonga on “alcohol plot”: what cheap talk! You are not worthy to be called a deputy minister. Empty vessels make the most noise, no wonder that stadium was empty!
* VETERAN Minister Iilonga is the one who should finally wake up: gone are the times of empty and racist phrases of the representatives of the ruling party. Nobody wants to hear them any more! Why do you think it took hours to fill the pavilion in Keetmanshoop? Besides it is his party that’s in charge of alcohol licences for not-so-white shebeen owners. Who is really destroying the health of our nation?
– Disgusted Buchter
* I THINK Minister Peter Iilonga should get his facts straight. Most shebeens are operated and even illegally by blacks not whites. Get your facts straight.
* PETER Ilonga should not be allowed to speak in public on national issues otherwise he will mislead the nation. This man doesn’t know what he is saying. Someone should assist him please with his speeches. Such MPs are a disgrace to both government and the nation as a whole. Shame on him!
* MINISTER Iilonga, why are you so scared of a few whites in this country? Is it the whites running shebeens in the townships or now from army camps? Who sells home-made beer on every building site? Open your eyes!
* FOR Peter Ilonga to say that the white people are to be blamed for alcohol abuse in Namibia shows how misinformed he is. He should know that a number of his colleagues own shebeens and also taxis. I still have to see a white person serving alcohol to anybody in a shebeen, and this at any given time.
* YOUR article ‘Deputy Minister claims alcohol plot’ refers. He? Eish? Are you sure he is a deputy minister in our country?
* HERE comes the senior man again, whatever comes out of kuku Peter Iilonga’s mouth is very, very destructive. He has been out of the box ever since he joined the GRN. Pity that the past is still haunting him as he found it difficult to make peace with the whites. God guide him and bring Kuku on the right track. He lives in the past! Oh vakwetu 20 years of freedom and still we are blaming the whites. Ah what a shame !
* ALCOHOL destroys not only the youth, if it’s abused it destroys even adults. So pointing fingers at white people is incorrect. To the contrary, black-owned shebeens are the ones who don’t obey the age limit rule and they are mushrooming all over the country.
* WHEN will Deputy Minister Iilonga be charged under the anti-racism act? Or is he immune because of his combat cap?
* MINISTER Ilonga stop your racist paranoia – no wonder the stadiums are empty when you talk such rubbish.
* SHOULD Mr Peter Iilonga be on Swapo’s list again, the Namibians will lose trust in Honourable (Hifikepunye) Pohamba.
* COMRADE Petrus Ilonga your comments on the alcohol plot, I totally disagree with your statement that white people are planning to destroy the Namibian nation with alcohol. When people are consuming alcohol there is not any person forcing people to drink alcohol. So drinking is the people’s choice. Imagine who are the majority owning shebeens or cuca shops in Namibia? Cde Ilonga your statement is misreading the Namibian nation.
* THE (dis)Honourable Peter Ilonga, Deputy Minister of Labour, should tender his resignation or be fired. He is a threat to this nation. He accused white citizens of “destroying the youth with alcohol to gain power of our beloved country Namibia” and that they are “enemies to destroy us”. The very minority and vulnerable people are accused of having ‘stolen the land’, caused poverty and need ‘bullets in their heads’. The white community must also reject this nonsense and be ready to vote for change come November! This is an insult to the youth and to sane black people.
Bouquets And Brickbats
* AIR Berlin flies from Munich to Windhoek twice a week, mostly with full loads. Our national airline only flies one international route at the moment and that’s to Frankfurt six days a week. I have flown with both airlines many times before but, in comparison, Air Namibia has a price that is much more convenient and their service is the best. I challenge the GRN and management to look into this great opportunity and maybe introduce the Munich route.
– Tyt!
* NEWSPAPERS should learn to be consistent in their reporting: Teko’s Teckla’s age is always different – 45, 46, 47, 48! Which age is correct?
– Teckla Lameck’s age is 48, according to our information. – Newsdesk
* NEDBANK is doing a good job, however I would like them to make their account statement customer friendly like that of FNB. It should indicate the available balance not the way it is now.
– Lawrence
* MY gratitude goes to the principal and the new hostel superintendent of Makalani Primary School in Grootfontein, for a job well done. The school looks beautiful, keep it up guys. You are doing a good job. God bless and give you more strength to do more.
– Happy ex-student
Now we can calculate
* PLEASE Mrs Hilia Shilombwelwa, we thank you for us teaching us mathematics. Now we know how to calculate. We are in Grade 12 at Shituwa and we thank you a lot. We wish you many more years at Shituwa.
– Pozela, Ohalushu
* I WOULD like to commend the maternity ward and 3 East ward nursing staff at Windhoek Central Hospital. Keep up the good work.
– Nowaseb family, Otavi
Aikona Ai- Ais
* IT is high time to put a businessman in to run NWR instead of a politician. Let politicians run politics.
n THE ACC surely has to investigate the NWR Ai-Ais blunder. Why does MD Aupindi think he should not act when highly qualified people issue warnings?
And Justice For All
* ALTHOUGH the abuse of a GRN car is corruption and punishable, the N$15 000 fine is excessive for a labourer who might have to go to jail and lose his job for a 5km trip.
* DOES the Namibian law only count for the lower-level civil servants? How many cases were reported of the Permanent Secretaries and Ministers dropping off their kids and relatives at schools and everywhere. They even park at shebeens but nothing happens.
– Some senior Government officials have permission for their official vehicles to be used for certain trips like fetching and dropping children at school. – Newsdesk
* IS it really fair to punish a labourer N$15 000 for driving a GRN car without a trip authority? The guy did not drive to Oshakati and back for crying out loud. I’m not related to this fellow. Moreover, to send a message is one thing, but N$15 grand is outright foolish and unjust.
* I HAVE issues with the 1990 Stock Theft Act and await the outcome of Protasius Daniel’s case, sentenced to 20 years in prison for stealing nine goats. Very medieval!
* PLEASE help! Botsotsos take advantage by robbing others’ handbags and cellphones. Why can’t the Government set a rule of N$2 000 bail if someone grabs a phone or a handbag from someone? Like the punishment for drinking and driving? Drivers are now scared to take those chances. I think the botsotsos will definitely also stop that enjoyment of making others feel bad.
– Laudee, Windhoek
City Fathers Please ...
* CITY of Windhoek, are you serious about the budget? Does Council belong to itself? There are clear double standards in this year’s budget. The CEO said the cultural festival was requested by residents. And Mrs Trepper said, when asked about the little money spent on the Katutura Old Age Home, that it is just a social responsibility project and not their core mandate. Clearly residents’ call to increase that amount has been ignored. To Council, clearly the music show is more important, while it is not their core mandate. In any case that show is starting another controversy by asking the public to vote for those they want to see in action. What happened to the judges? You had to monitor quality in previous years. And artists are known to vote for themselves. How would you control that anyway? Please reply.
* WHEN are the Police to act and when not, the law says that shebeens must be closed at 00h00 (midnight) but there are shebeens in Katutura that operate until morning or are the Police too lazy to do their work? I will give credit to the Police at Stampriet who close the shebeens at 00h00 sharp. Keep up the good work.
* CAN’T the Municipality tell the City Police to break down the illegal shebeens instead of illegal shacks where babies and children live.
General
Sudan - where are we going?
* AFRICA at the crossroads. Where are we heading to as Africans? Five million Congolese died from fighting and collateral problem such as diseases and starvation. Millions are dying in Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe … and what are the leaders in Africa doing?
– Kamati
* I AM of the opinion that the Namibia Communication Council should be the designated authority to manage the matter of TV licences. NBC is just a service provider just like One Africa, DStv, etc. The Communications Bill must provide for such authority to be accorded to the Namibia Communication Council.
Health Matters
* THE rate at which H1N1 spreads in Namibia worries me. Were we really ready for it when the authorities assured us about readiness?
– Bazooka
* CAN you believe this? Here at the Oranjemund State Clinic, one nurse is on leave and the other one is on sick leave. And now they left us a notice saying – “No treatment, if urgent please go to Namdeb”. My question is: is the ministry aware of this? Where do we get money to be treated at a private hospital?
In And From The Regions
* RUNDU Town Council needs to take charge of its duties. I’m a concerned motorist who observes with pain the state of the gravel roads. We have been driving through potholes since the end of the rainy season. We are expecting to drive in rivers when the rainy season resumes. Rundu Town Council should take an example from Nkurenkuru town for upkeep of gravel roads.
* POLITICIANS do you still need our votes? Mangetti Dune residents have no water, no electricity, no MTC network, no nothing. We are neglected.
* IT is a disgrace to see a town as well known as Khorixas to be in the state it is after 19 years of independence. To the youth of Khorixas, the coming election should be seen as time for change. We are fed up.
– SPYL- Khorixas branch
* OUTAPI Town Council wake up! We want a primary school in town.
* OSHAKATI State Hospital’s casualty department should have at least more than one medical doctor to treat patients especially during weekends. It’s energy wasting to stand in a queue for more than eight hours while you are sick.
Labour Issues
* WE who have employees’ concerns at heart support Commissioner Usiku 100 %. There is nothing wrong with Mr Harold (Pupkewitz) as a person, but with the likes of you who send the SMSes hiding behind him. If you can’t live by example, how can the newcomers learn. Government has nothing to do with Mr Usiku’s actions. Mr Usiku is performing his duty that’s all.
* MR Usiku is right on the Affirmative Action issue at Pupkewitz, especially at Motor Division. Affirmative Action is not implemented there.
n HOW long should a civil servant wait, if they have resigned, for their file to be sent to the GIPF from the respective Ministry? When a person owes the GRN, they are given 30 days to pay back. I am very worried about a person who resigned from Justice in 2007, but her file is still in the Justice personnel office today. Please ACC this serious and Ombudsman find out if this is true. Every day a new excuse is given whenever she comes to our office. As I’m not handling her file, I’m not able to tell her.
– Worried citizen/civil servant, Justice.
* I RESIGNED from the Ministry of Health in March 2007 in the Otjozondjupa Region and to date have not received my pension. I was told that I was overpaid then they took the money from my leave days. And now suddenly I am overpaid while I am no longer working for the government. I am very hurt and disappointed. And worst of all, the people working in the finance department of Otjiwarongo’s Ministry of Health wait for me to call, wasting my airtime and not even sorting out my problem. I want to know whether I am getting my pension or not?
* TO GIPF, I have been employed for 15 years in the GRN now. My funeral benefit is still the same, no housing assistance. But apparently the board got 20 per cent increase. Please board members do your work. The money GIPF is losing can be used to improve our benefits. Thank you.
– Tulonga
The Ministry Responds
* When will the Ministry of Education pay our tuition fees? It’s been months since our names were published until now nothing has been paid.
The Ministry of Education has already paid the tuition fees of NSFAF loan holders (students) at tertiary institutions. Students whose fees have not paid did not submit the necessary documents. They are therefore advised to submit those outstanding documents for payment to be made.
Yours in Education
Public Relations Office