SMSes for Tue 03 Feb 09
* THE Swapo Elders Council should know that through freedom of speech, we, the people, want to keep the ruling and opposition parties in check. Freedom of speech is not a privilege granted by Swapo, but a human right.
* GRADE 10 + 12 failures who enrolled yourselves with Namcol, get serious about your studies. The study materials that you get are excellent and clear. Don’t just depend on teachers. Become determined and dedicated. Stop crying to be full-time learners. Surely, you had your chance. Also stop roaming the bars and streets of your towns aimlessly.
– Amkongo
Food For Thought
* WHY should outstanding payments for companies and organisations be written off while those of ordinary citizens are collected through repossession and auctions to pay for outstanding municipal fees? This is an example of double standards from an incompetent group of municipal employees and City Council. Those responsible for such incompetence should be brought to task. Shame on you, while ordinary people suffer.
Democracy Rules
* THE Namibian can’t be blamed for giving a platform to the voiceless to express themselves. The Government should bring its side and start serving the nation. The Elders should advise the Government of its duties and responsibilities towards the citizens and the country and if they are unquestionable let them set the record straight.
* CAN Mr Kanana (Hishoono) please leave democracy alone. Please state what insults you are referring to?
* OUR politicians are not able to distinguish between insults and criticism. Any disagreement is seen as an insult. Shame on such juvenile behaviour.
* CAN Tatekulu Kanana Hishoono of Swapo Party Elders Council also pronounce (on) and condemn the insulting and provocations from his own party which are – “traitors, Hidipo Hamutenya’s dogs, cut their tails”, etc.
* SWAPO elders, ministers and others who complain that radio talk shows, SMSes and letters in newspapers are used to insult certain people have it wrong. Pointing out mistakes is not insulting. Mentioning corruption, poor leadership, wrong and ill-timed decisions, incompetence, do not make people anti-Swapo or anti-government, only anti-corruption and anti-general-inefficiency. These are the only means by which we can make our voices heard, something not done by the politicians – is this criticism now an insult and anti-government?
* IT never ceases to amaze me that the former liberation movements in SADC seem to think they have a divine right to drag us all to hell in a handcart with them, as Mugabe has done with Zimbabwe. Hishoono’s attack on free speech is an ill-disguised attempt at censorship that echoes the colonial apartheid mentality – an attitude as far expired as Mugabe in its sell-by date. Shall we dig up the Robben Island 18 Trial again to refresh memories? At least Mr Hishoono should be consistent – or maybe he is?
* WE are no longer living in the stone age, Mr Hishoono. We voted for democracy. Please check your dictionary. Viva to The Namibian.
* THE Elders Council should rather be worried about the lack of tolerance and respect for the Constitution of both the Swapo Government officials and the membership. As elders they should guide the youth and the broader membership in upholding the Constitution thus promoting peace and harmony they so much desire and preach. Alternatively, the Swapo leadership should leave public office and the Elders Council retire to the life of respectable grannies and granddads with dignity.
– A A
* NAMIBIANS until when should we allow our selves to be controlled like this? First it was the complaints about the national Chat Show which resulted in banning only the Oshiwambo Open Line. Now they want to take it with The Namibian newspaper, one of the unbiased papers in the country. Swapo should tell its members and supporters not to read newspapers and leave all other people to learn what is happening in this country.
* SWAPO wake up and smell the coffee. Statesmen are public figures, if they can’t accept being insulted, they should step down. What’s the use of Freedom of Speech?
* Mr Hishoono, we will write SMSes and exercise our freedom of speech, whether you like it or not. Neither you, nor the President, nor the former President, are above the law. Nor will you tell us what to think about you or your politics. Long live The Namibian and freedom of speech.
* SWAPO Elders party should be mindful of the freedom of speech of Namibians and it is everybody’s right to express themselves. The Elders should rather advise the Swapo-led Government to be just, fair and uphold democracy.
– AA
* YOU mean the GRN wants to take away freedom of speech? Swapo is proving itself. It’s afraid of negative politics. They make promises in the North to all those elderly that receive a pittance of a pension and still believe in hanging flags in trees. How blind and foolish we are. Zim, Nam; Nam, Zim, see any difference?
* WHEN are our political leaders, especially Swapo Party leaders, ever going to learn to differentiate between insult and criticism? Please stop the senseless rhetoric and rather focus on addressing real issues that affect the nation.
General
* WELL done to the person wanting to know the meaning of (sic). There is indeed nothing like a stupid question really. Now, can someone tell me what “LOL” means please?
– LOL is an abbreviation for Laugh Out Loud! – Newsdesk
Politics
* AS a nation, we the electorate should elect the prime minister as well as ministers to hold public office. Not only the president. It is time for change in this country.
Zimbabwe
* I SALUTE the SPYL and the NUNW for being united solidly behind President RG Mugabe. Never succumb to pressure from Cosatu.
– Henny Seibeb
* THE Zim issue is a sad story to tell. Hospitals literally closed, schools practically closed, Zim currency totally useless. All commodities charged in hard currency. A passport costs N$6 500 (US$650), a loaf of bread is US$1 (N$10), Unicef proposed to pay striking nurses US$500 (N$5 000) and for the government to open foreign accounts. The list is endless. Can the African Union and the UN Security Council tell (President Robert) Mugabe three decades is more than enough!
Bouquets And Brickbats
* THUMBS up to Keetmanshoop for taking action against shebeens. Alcohol destroys the moral fibre of communities and fast-tracks social evils.
* POLICE Deputy Commissioner of the Oshana Region Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa is a true hero of the Namibian soil. He brought serious crimes to almost zero in Oshana. Bring him to Windhoek please. Windhoek is a war zone between criminals and the community. We need a serious person like Ndahangwapo. We salute you!
* I WATCHED two NPL soccer matches this week Hotspurs vs Civics and Tigers vs Arrows and I was not impressed by the referees’ decisions. In the game between Spurs and Civics, most of his decisions were against Spurs. In Tigers vs Arrows he made a mistake by giving a penalty. Then to make it look fair he gave penalties to the other side as well.
– Soccer Fan
* WAS there a mistake in the title of Gwynne Dyer’s column last Friday? Should it not have read Afghanistan instead of Pakistan going by the content? Or is Pakistan analogous to North Vietnam from where the Viet Cong (Taliban/al Qaeda) will come to conquer Saigon (Kabul) at the cost of 58 000 Americans? Otherwise a very good article candidly drawing parallels between the two American adventures halfway around the globe to fight nationalism disguised in ideology. I concur that Bin Laden, having tasted the sweetness of victory over a surer power (Soviet), had intended to draw the US into invading Afghanistan.
Taxi Talk
* THE taxi drivers at Wernhil Park should consider the safety of people in the surrounding of the exit terminal. A woman was almost bumped and sustained an injured foot after a speedy driver rushing for customers carelessly drove into her. The driver did not show any remorse but continued yelling “Katutura”, while the poor lady languished in pain, what is Nabta’s role here?
General
* CAN you please follow up on the story of the suspect who turned into a goat?
– We will do our best. I have checked the latest news feeds but as yet there is nothing new. But we’ll keep checking. – News Editor
* PARENTS from Katutura this new story that we must buy school clothes from Boundary is nonsense. We can’t afford it, or the school must pay half for the expensive clothes. In Katutura we have shops with good quality affordable school wear.
Education
* WHY doesn’t Namibia introduce re-examinations for Grade 12 borderline cases like RSA?
Labour Issues
* PLEASE my government, tonight I’ll sleep on three slices of bread and Sweet-Aid, bought on Friday. Nothing else in my N$250 rental room. I get N$750 a month from a Chinese construction company, a dinner plate to some. Please help, I’m starving.
* RÖSSING Mine when will you come to your senses and pay out the surplus of the former workers?
* NBC Oshiwambo service, how do you advertise your posts? There have been resignations, retirements etc yet we never see vacancies being advertised. Give feedback please!
* CAN the Minister of Safety and Security please tell us what chances we stand as educated police officers with diplomas, degrees as well as masters in police science but still carrying the rank of constable? At least we are achievers in the academic field.
GTV
* WHAT shocking and astonishing news from GTV. GTV has terminated its broadcasting service in Namibia. As a GTV subscriber I’m shocked. What will happen to us and the whole set (decoder & dish)? I want to be refunded my money (N$1 400. I only owned it for a year.
– Ms Red Nation, Mariental
* IF GTV knew that they were closing, why did they accept payment from unaware customers on Friday? Who is protecting the rights of customers? What will we do with their decoders now?
* PLEASE DStv get rights back for FA Soccer for the soccer lovers in Africa.
* GTV. You rescued us from the rugby-dominated MultiChoice by bringing football to the majority of Namibians. What now? Namibian football lovers, let us try and acquire the rights for Namibia only!
– A disappointed Liverpool FC Supporter
Disconnections
* CHRISTMAS 2008 has passed. Still we hear: “I know you are with your family now as it is Christmas time” over NBC Otjiherero Radio. To make matters worse I discovered that the programme was broadcast during Christmas 2006! Recycling. What is the NBC paying this presenter (a pastor) for? To present old programmes?
* WHY does the news and sport news on Radio Wave always have so much about South Africa? We are in Namibia!
* WHY on earth does NBC TV delete One Africa TV’s microphone [from its news footage] at news time? Afraid of a bit of competition? It’s very unprofessional.
Service Please
* NAMPOST, there are plenty of tellers, but the queues are too long, because there are only two tellers operating. Please improve your service.