SMSes For 16 Mon Feb 09
Food For Thought n ALL political parties in Namibia must sign a public pledge committing themselves to complying with the electoral code of conduct.
The Electoral Commission (of Namibia) must start now with seminars, advertisements in the print and electronic media to teach people of Namibia, especially in the north and other trouble hot spots, to preach and teach political tolerance.
– Kamati
n GLAD there were no SMSes on politics on Thursday. Maybe it is time to face reality on issues that really are of importance to the nation other than arid political debates. Keep it up Namibia. Pull together!
n PLEASE GRN, how can an accused or a suspect escort SADC VIPs or address national events like funerals or Heroes’ Day commemorations? What example is our GRN setting with Sacky Namugongo?
n CAN the NBC Board of Directors please tell us why the former NBC Director General Ben Mulongeni was not fired immediately when the blue movie appeared on national television few years ago? Is this not the same as the RDP flag incident which cost Mr Bob Kandetu his job? But the blue movie incident was blamed on the technician. Why not the RDP flag incident?
Bouquets And Brickbats
n I WANT to give special thanks to Mariental Fuel Centre for clean toilets, especially on the ladies’ side.
– Lea, Ester, Kim, Windhoek
n THANK you Nabta for branding taxis with bright colours. Can you please help convince taxi drivers to be more hygienic with their taxis. N$7.50 is more than enough to buy soap and wash their taxis’ seat covers!
– Concerned customer
n IS NBC only for the private use of Swapo, why don’t they show the RDP Outjo district conference. Please be objective and air all opinions within the confines of the Namibian Constitution.
– A Democrat from Otjiwarongo.
n IS NBC news only about ministers’ speeches, what about other citizens? Boring!
n The Namibian makes sure that the paper has all pages printed well. The Friday February 13 paper had a page where there was text missing. – We’re sorry about that. – News Editor
n I HAVE a problem with your Oshiwambo reporter’s reports. Why for example would he cite a title of Mr Shailemo as secretary of RDP in a farmer’s issue instead of the right title as president of the Mangetti Farmers’ Association? What’s he trying to achieve? And this is not the first time he distorts, twists or misinterprets issues. The issue at hand was about farms, not politics. Mr Shivute should pull up his socks.
n THE Namibian: I remember when I used to look forward to reading your Top 10 list but now I hardly understand most of them. I’ll stick to Ndeshi and Jakes.
– Ayedn
Enviro
n RECYCLING, regrettably currently only in Windhoek at /Ai//Gams, Auas Valley, Maerua and Wernhil shopping centre parking lots. For more info mail to information@news-namibia.org (Namibia Environment & Wildlife Society)
Labour Issues
n THE unemployment rate in Namibia is already high. But well, who cares when the new labour law results in about 7 000 job losses! Surely not the Government!
n CITY of Windhoek stop your shameless discrimination against HIV-positive applicants for bus driver vacancies. You are the only parastatal with compulsory HIV testing on all applicants (drivers). One can be HIV positive but still be strong and a highly experienced driver. Please stop the discrimination against us and we can overcome HIV-AIDS in Namibia and the world!
n WHY is the Ministry of Defence failing to pay its instructors their allowances? It has been seven months as from June up to now and allowances are supposed to be paid every three months. Is it fair to keep instructors training recruits for nothing? It is demoralising them.
n AT G4S every month we have the problem of pay queries. If I go for overtime the salary goes down! Please MD help us. If you don’t report on duty then N$50 is gone which is more than you earn for that shift.
n NOT everybody called for job interviews! I would like to suggest that Namibian employers please facilitate recruitment procedures: candidates need only to forward copies of their CVs. Those who may be considered would take along their original documents to the interview. I and many job seekers are tired of wasting non-returned certified copies for years. Change the way things used to be done in the past please.
– IH, Windhoek
n NAMIBIA is for all! I wonder what happens to the yearly budget of our Home Affairs as our brothers and sisters on the borders are suffering from the rain and sun’s rays!
n THE Ministry of Labour’s concern about labour hire is a storm in a teacup. While being informed about the non-payment of Woermann Brock contract workers, they insisted on a written complaint before they can take any action. These workers are still waiting for their January 09 salaries.
n WHAT are our rights as domestic workers about our leave and pay rate?
Health Matters
n CONCERNING melamine in baby milk: one can identify the origin of the company that distributes the formula from the first three figures in the barcode. 690-695 is China. I wrote to Nestle in the RSA and asked about NAN Nr 1 and Pelargon. They say that they guarantee that there is no melamine in their product.
General
n I’M a teenager that dreams of having the opportunities that American kids have. My question is, can’t someone build a camp where kids can explore their talents by singing and playing musicals but only during holidays, similar to Camp Rock? Please make our dreams come true. I’m sure I’m not the only kid that can dream!
n PLEASE driving schools, don’t teach new drivers during rush hour, you are affecting traffic. Start at least from 07h45 when most of us are already at work please, or drive in areas were traffic is low.
n TELECOM, please provide a toll-free number for the SPCA. It is very expensive to report animal cruelty and stray animals to the SPCA from a cellphone only to be told to phone Municipality animal control. My point here is why can’t the staff of the SPCA phone animal control for that matter. I lost a lot of money yesterday and this morning phoning SPCA Swakopmund reporting someone’s dog which has been in my yard for almost two days now.
– HS
n THE Mayor of Windhoek must give other people a chance. You can’t sit there forever.
n DELIVERY truck N59750W take note that the speed limit in Sam Nujoma Drive is 60 km per hour and when it rains you should adjust your speed.
n HATRED for Jews and Israel are wrong. Whether that hatred is being directed at Jews by the Christian church, Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hamas, Hezbollah, The Ku Klux Klan or ordinary people in the privacy of the homes and businesses, it’s evil. It is anti-Semitism and it’s a sin that damns the soul. Call it what you will, it must be stopped at every turn even in Namibia.
– Paul
Education
n CAN the Ministry of Education tell parents in Windhoek what is going on with the schools. Nearly every week children at lower primary are sent to bring money to school. Is it a policy or what? After all parents pay for everything like uniforms, class usage, toiletries and they are government schools. How much will private schools ask?
– Concerned parent
n SCHOOL management and teachers go out of their way to try and instil discipline in learners, while at the same time parents are trying to sabotage these efforts by arguing that body searching at schools is a violation of the kids’ right to privacy. All parents must ensure that their kids don’t take along cellphones to school at all! I don’t see them complaining being searched at nightclubs and bars.
n EDUCATIONAL Director of Omusati Region, can you go back into that issue of a teacher who impregnated a school learner. It’s still hurtful to some of us parents and I urge that learner to be straightforward and let us know the reality.
n WE are very worried when the Ministry of Education says there are no jobs for those who completed Hospitality and Tourism. Why can’t the minister employ us even in the GRN kitchens, so that we can repay our loans.
– Student Who Completed from Zimbabwe
On The Box
n PLEASE NBC, when are you going to play ‘The ties that bind’? You keep saying “coming soon”. We want to see if it’s worth watching.
n NBC every evening you show the same documentary about drug trafficking in Myanmar. It is getting boring!
And the Winner Is ...
n I AGREE with the SMS of the Day with regard to gambling, but it’s not only casinos. It is “send an SMS and win this and that and the other” at various rates and we rarely hear who won. Even the banks are doing it. Bank Windhoek, who won N$50 000 in December for registering a bond with you? Now you can win cars by recharging your mobile every day this month. It’s too much, people are being tempted to part with the little cash they have. Shame on them!
In And From The Regions
nNAMIBIANS are you really serious about some problems. Why do you leave people on open spaces like this.
– From Engela Hospital
n THE flood in Malanami location Ondangwa was caused by the Town Council. They allowed buildings to be constructed along the drainage system. The buildings are:Oshana gravestones and a nearby mini-market. We need compensation.
n BUSINESS people in and around Otavi, why is it hard to give assistance to Touch and Go FC our only representative in Northern Stream First Division. The boys are really struggling without sponsorship. Thanks.
– Bazooka