SMSes for Thur 19 Feb 09
* IT’S a shame that the City of Windhoek’s road-repairing contractors are not using the mobile traffic lights invented by a son of the soil last year. I am sure if it was a Chinese invention we would have seen them all around, even at working robots! The road to Maerua Mall is a pain at rush hours! Talk about motivating our own engineers. What a joke! – Rudy Hinanifa
* IT’S election time now. We the poor members of the political parties are now the loved ones.
Food For Thought
* I FAIL to understand the lack of outrage at the new regulations instituted unilaterally by the Home Affairs Department. I should rather call them limitations on our civil liberties. I can’t imagine the prospect of having to provide outlines of imminent travel to justify your right to your national travel document (passport), which despite what is implied by the head of the department is fully paid for by the applicant. Think what if. What if ...
* WHO will pay for the civil service pay increases? GIPF? If that is the case, then GIPF pensioners should get similar increases because it’s their money Government uses.
* HOW strange that the Air Namibia board has been reappointed? What criteria did they use? The number of successful bailouts they managed to negotiate?
Bouquets And Brickbats
* THANK you Hon Joel Kaapanda for introducing the national pride campaign. I salute your team for their genius and know how in the design and implementation of the plan. Please roll out to the regions, it is needed. – Patriotic Namibian
* AS far as I’m concerned it’s sad an infant has died. But Dr Uanivi is a most experienced and competent surgeon, as is Dr Munhemba. They did all that they could. Dr Uanivi has saved many lives tirelessly. May God bless you.
* TO the woman driver of a silver VW Passat N38571W, you were not being smart driving in peak traffic on Wednesday morning with a very young child on your lap.
You Asked, A Reader Answers
* USED motor oil can be disposed of at the municipality in Patterson Street at the back of the showgrounds. Great request, thanks.
We Want To Help!
* ‘OPEN File’ crew can you please tell the nation where can one go to help the Kamholo family?
In and From the Regions
* YES, it’s rain time! I challenge our Cabinet ministers to visit constituencies this time to feel the heat like other ordinary Namibians. Can one visit the constituency of Etayi which this time became an island?
* OMUNTELE Councillor, when are we going to get the gravel road here at Iimanya and Onakazizi clinic? Ambulances cannot even come to the clinic due to water! – SPK
* USAKOS and Karibib, stop damaging your old buildings! You are destroying tourist attractions.
* MINISTRY of Works and Transport when are you going to finish the Onayena to Okankolo road? Can you please do something before the elections. We are suffering and we need a tarred road. – Ndalulilwa, Okankolo
* THIS is a desperate message to Erongo Red. Please the electricity has nearly doubled at Swakopmund. Look very seriously into this urgent matter.
* THE names of some locations in most Namibian towns e.g.: Damara, Wambo and Herero locations are making many people sick and tired because they promote tribalism among the Namibians. Are there no other names that sound better? – Nicky, Grootfontein
* AN urgent request is being directed to all the members of the Land Board of Kavango to submit the applications of the VaShambyu, which you have been holding onto since 2004, to the Head Office of Lands and Resettlement with immediate effect. Why are the applicants to be punished? What have they done wrong? Their applications have been approved and signed by the rightful person, the respected Hompa Angeline Matumbo Ribebe under whose jurisdiction those farms fall.
Equality
* Is this what equality and women’s empowerment is all about, or misinterpretation of both? I went to visit my uncle over the weekend. Around 12h20 his wife was getting ready to go out to a friend. My uncle suggested she prepared lunch before she left. Her reply was: ‘Am I taking pots and a cooker with me?’.
General
* POLICE must stop commemorating ‘’Police Day’ they can’t fund themselves. They ask donations around from the same people they arrest or fine for traffic offences. Is this not going to cause corruption?
* REGARDING the opening of Parliament 2009 pictures in Wednesday’s The Namibian newspaper, was Tanja Bause suggesting only men (should) surround the President with the ‘All the President’s Men’ photo title? Or is it men as in the human race? Just asking. – Petrina N Owusu-Afrlyie
* Well spotted! No offence implied. Just a nod to the film of the same name – in a generic sense! It refers to the human race and not just men. Just for the record, Tanja did not write the cutline for the photo. And we’re glad you asked! – Newsdesk
* PLEASE City of Windhoek do something about the so-called Herero Mall. The noise is unbearable throughout day and night. – Concerned resident
Labour Issues
* I JUST want to hear from leaders where we stand with our Aranos Abattoir case? It’s been going on since February 2007 until now. Please Nafau. – Drusilla Kavirombo
* CRITICAL shortages of scarce skills e.g. medical doctors will continue unless Government is willing to grant them special dispensation with respect to permanent residence. The 10-year proposal shouldn’t to apply to everybody. Those whose skills are desperately needed in the country could be allowed to apply to stay after five years. The country gains more, the individuals also gain. – Afrikan Comrade
Education
* IN Namibia, our leaders are not serious about education. After 18 years the kids are on the streets because there are no classrooms for them. The leaders have been preaching that the GRN did build schools all over the country. Where are those schools so that our kids can be accommodated there? Stop playing with the future of our kids please.
* WHO is to blame for the Ministry of Education’s failure to provide cars to inspectors and advisory teachers? The Government Garage is of no help in this matter. The situation in Omusati Region is worse. When learners fail, the blame is for teachers and their parents. What about the high officials. We are not happy about this unfair situation.
* The Ministry of Education, Karas Region. Clean up your mess in the finance department. Is anybody accountable for mishandling civil servants’ hard earned money? – A frustrated civil servant
* CAN the Government add commerce classes at WCE and at other colleges? We can even attend classes in tents. Years are going past without achieving anything.
* THE Unam fees increments are ridiculous. How on earth are we supposed to afford it if we were struggling with the past fees. You are increasing the crime rate.
Politics
* LET me advise my brothers and sisters about political violence which played a major role in our country. Politics is just a belief. That’s why during the war of this country some of us killed our brothers and sisters, we killed our parents and we destroyed our parents’ houses because of political affiliation. But after all that violence we did during the war, we came to realise that it was wrong after this country’s Independence. Let us not repeat the same mistake.
* IS it difficult for our leaders to learn some tips from Barack Obama? What a powerful leader.
Zimbabwe
* I THINK (President Robert) Mugabe must step down while his country is facing total economic collapse, poverty, cholera and unemployment and he is buying a 4 million pound home.
Bye Bye Bob
* NBC fiasco. Poor leadership! Maladministration! Why were Mr Ya France and Mr Kandetu’s [alleged] lack of capabilities not seen before they were appointed? If these accusations are true then the person who appointed them showed poor insight and judgement of character and human nature. The mistake was his and he should be fired.
Service Please
* CAN whoever is responsible please do something about the potholes on the roads. Tyres are very expensive. You write so many traffic fines to the public, can you use part of the money to maintain the roads.
* I WONDER how just putting a signature and stamp on a house plan can take three months. City of Windhoek, we are tired of your services.
* MTC please we need your coverage in the Kavango cattle range. – Boyser Simwine resident
* MINISTER of Home Affairs I once applied for a passport in 2004 in Rundu but I never got it. I even paid for it. I need an answer.
* WHAT type of system does Namibia Tourism Board use that cannot be fixed? I’ve been going there for almost 3 weeks now, but didn’t get help because they are ever off line. Just imagine coming from Swakopmund only to hear that the system is not working for 3 weeks. Can someone tell me what’s going on at NTB.
Fair Competition
* MTC: I am a pre-paid customer through my company. My question is: Why is it that we are not part of this Volvo competition? I have recharged more than three times, but haven’t been notified that I am part of this competition like the Tango subscribers. Is this competition only for the Tango people? What about us who also recharge during the month? Play it fair.
* MTC, what happened to the winner of Friday, February 13? I’m asking because you only published a winner from February 14 .
Sporting
* I FEEL pity for long-distance runners. The person runs 10 km and is only rewarded with N$300 and 21 km only N$500. Running shoes cost more than N$500. Please race organisers and sponsors do something for the athletes, don’t just organise races just for the sake of organising and for publicity.
* MULTICHOICE come up with a sports bouquet or certain channels to be selected and paid for accordingly. Your current product segment is unfair, change we need and I will follow.
On The Box
* TO Mr Leonard Witbeen of Blueberry. ‘The ties that bind’ is not Namibia’s first locally oriented TV series, for your information ‘Cuca Shop’ was there back in the day.