SMS For Thursday 11 June 2009
* IN a democracy, the people must know what the Government is doing in their name – not the other way around. So we must have a law to allow people to have access to information held by Government, and not a law on spying on the people. – Norman Tjombe, human rights lawyer
Food for Thought
* DO you know that the Ohangwena Region has less than 100 km of tarred roads. Also we have no institutions of higher learning. Our towns are the least funded by GRN.
– Ingatutala
* BOB Kandetu’s columns are too academic for an ordinary person in the street. People should stop writing for those already well informed and do it for those who need to understand the reality if we want changes in Namibia.
– Dorkas
Spy Bill
* PEOPLE of Namibia, challenge the Swapo Think Tank to come up with a position paper on the Spy Bill for this Friday’s The Namibian.
* MINISTER (Joel) Kaapanda in particular and the GRN in general must assure this nation that a proposed Spy Bill is a joke, and this must be done before November 2009. If they fail to do this, then the Namibian nation must make sure to vote for a party which will never interfere with its private affairs.
* GOVERNMENT is paralysed by sheer incompetence, and now fear. Paying lip service to efficient and meaningful service delivery for 19 years has resulted in the poor, hungry, illiterate and jobless electorate starving for change. Given its poor record in service delivery, it’s shameful and shocking that Government tries to justify planes, houses, luxuries, and now clandestine self-serving spy legislation. For a nation of our size and limited means it’s undignified.
– AS
* NAMIBIANS, let’s not make decisions or laws whose effects we shall regret. Spying will create mistrust, revenge and counter-spying. Today’s motives are fake.
* I HAVE a suggestion, could we have a referendum on the issue of the Spy Bill. Then the majority vote will determine whether to continue with the Spy Bill stuff. We also have voice, right? Let’s speak up.
– Ndanyanyukwa
* ELECTIONS are just part of democracy! No reason to declare war against your citizens by the ‘Spy Bill’ or other reckless, senseless acts. Obviously you are very afraid of us. And also note: One may even lose elections one day. Don’t act like Mr Dictator from ‘Banana Republic’.
* SPY Bill?! Guess we going back to the Stone Age when we communicated with secret smoke signals.
– No name
Miss Namibia
* REFERRING to the SMS page of June 10 about the Miss Namibia (finalist) who wants to meet Adolf Hitler and Josef Mengele. Please Namibians, let’s learn to listen. The contestant was not in favour of the two, but just wanted to ask Hitler what made him have so many followers or what inspired him. About Josef Mengele, she wanted to ask him why he did such a horrible thing and also if he had been shown any love at a tender age?
– Tate waMonica
* NBC, can you broadcast Miss Namibia 2009 next weekend please?
– A bored Namibian
* IN some of the towns and locations there is no network for One Africa TV. Can NBC show the Miss Namibia pageant next weekend please? We as Namibians paying the Namibian TV licences, we want the entertaining local events to appear on NBC. Please improve your service NBC, instead of broadcasting other countries’ stuff.
City Fathers Please ...
* CAN the Windhoek Municipality please tell me what one has to do to have a shebeen. Because I stay in Sussex Street, Golgota, and we have four shebeens there. Do something for the sake of our children. Please.
– SKK
* WINDHOEK Municipality please make a plan to remove all the dogs that are roaming in the streets, especially in Katutura. The owners just leave their dogs free among people while some of these dogs are bad tempered. It’s dangerous to the people and we are so tired of removing the dogs’ excreta around our houses and we definitely won’t tame the dogs.
Politics
* FELLOW citizens, everyone has a right to join a political party of their choice. If they are not happy where they are then they will freely move on.
Running The Show
* DEPUTY Finance Minister Tjekero Tweya must realise that businesses in Namibia are heavily taxed and this stifles growth, therefore less people will be employed. Cut company tax and reduce VAT before you demand jobs from the private sector.
* CAN the Ministry of Defence stop transporting our sons and daughters (soldiers) to and from work in those trucks. Honestly speaking they are not safe. Please.
When You’ve
Got to Go
* DEAR Minister! Please don’t forget to build toilets at every cuca shop complex. Include them in your toilet budget as well as at my house at Onyati opposite Onankali Forestry.
* YOU people that are against toilets being built along the roads please stop complaining because you have never experienced a passenger relieving him/herself in a passenger bus. I am in the process of tendering to build one of those toilets because I am not employed but I can build. Thereafter I will tender for cleaning services as well as security. Roads are being used by everyone in this country therefore all citizens will benefit in general. My last tender will be to teach people about how to use toilets because there are so many Namibians do not know how to hygienically use public toilets versus cholera and other contagious diseases.
– Twabushalila
Education
* NONE of the three languages (Afrikaans, English and Khoe Khoe Gowab) which are offered in Karas Education Region has an education officer to advise the teachers. Now how will the so-called U-OA project be a reality in the Karas Region?
– A Concerned inhabitant of Karas
* THANK you citizen Nahas for your answer on education. What Namibians should know is there is a campaign to discredit the efforts of the Government of the day by the new messiahs, most of whom were part and parcel of decision-making. Let’s not be distracted by the prophets of doom!
– Omumati wokokongo
* WHO is fooling who? IOL your ACE certificate isn’t recognised. The poor teachers now have to suffer by refunding the government. Namibia Qualification Authority should also explain to us.
* THERE is a big problem at Goreangab Namcol Centre. Every month tutors are leaving and new faces are coming. Head office does something. We learners are suffering. We need tutors for the whole year and one only. Please look into this Namcol.
– Concerned learner
* PLEASE Unam should always check student ID cards before entrance into any test or examination, because most senior students, especially boys, write for their girls
Bouquets And Brickbats
* MANY thanks NBC for the idea of bringing the Parliament report at 22h30. Now we can watch and listen to the ministers and the members, thanks!
– Jan Owambo
* NBC TV. Can I please give a little advice on the background on the news. The idea is good. But the stuff you have behind is not proper. Like the fire extinguisher on the wall on your right end, the dustbin on the ground. Most importantly the main camera’s head room is too big. You don’t need to show the lights on the ceiling. Not even the floor. Besides on Tuesday your presenter was wearing black while the background was black also. It gives a bad image.
– Gil
* THANK you The Namibian for showing it like it is by giving as a glimpse of what happened at Miss Namibia. NBC please get real.
* DEAR editor, does The Namibian ever contact the TV stations for daily schedule ahead of publishing?
– Susan Mpinge
– We do and publish the schedules they send to us. - News Desk
In And From The Regions
* THE Namibian of June 4. Ferry for island residents. I’m in disagreement with the Cabinet decision. As an islander I ask the Government to consider constructing a bridge over the Chobe River connecting us to Botswana/Kasane. Some of residents travel almost daily between Katima and Impalila. We also receive tourists daily. Some of them park their cars in Kasane and our cars are left parked in Kasane at the owner’s risk.
* WHAT is wrong with Nored? Or is it the Government officials who don’t care about the nation? Why doesn’t Nored want to make a redistribution of electricity in the rural area, especially in our village Onampadhi in Oniipa constituency? We don’t have tens of thousand to apply electricity, please. We do have access to clean water, thank you on that!
– Tsumeb at Oonampadhi
* PEOPLE at Home Affairs Tsumeb, please be polite in your way of answering people.
* PLEASE send a health inspector to Karasburg. The town is a health risk.
* I HAVE been a customer at Shoprite Tsumeb for almost two years now and the way managers of that shop talk to their staff is awful. How can they shout at staff in front of us customers instead of going into offices and solve the problems?
* GAM, a good example why the land resettlement programme is failing. If nothing is done soon, Gam would be one case study amongst many. Government should resettle people that need land desperately. That is the only way forward.
* I’M a born Keetmanshooper and it’s been a headache for the past years now. 1) There are lots of teenage pregnancies in Keetmanshoop. 2) There is abuse of alcohol in Keetmanshoop. I am worried about my home town and the young people there who are slowly deteriorating. Please GRN try and create jobs for the young talent of the South instead of wanting to increase your salaries.
– Concerned future teacher
Health Matters
* PLEASE the people who are running New Start Centre. I am begging you to provide condoms in the bush, especially at Shinungathe, on the east side of Rundu and also to educate these people about HIV please.
* MY concern is about swine flu in the country. And my concern is about the kids who are staying in hostels showering with cold water. Are we aware of that? Can we suggest hot water at the school hostels? Even use wood.
* AT the X-ray dept in Onandjokwe, to my surprise, as a patient where I was sent from casualty to collect my X-ray, which was taken the previous day, I was asked to look for it myself. One was saying she is not willing to do it, the other sent me back to casualty. My question is where are we heading? I want the ministry to investigate. Thank you for ‘still telling it as it is’. I agreed to look for it in those piles of films because I need it for therapy.
Service Please
* DOES MTC really think we are stupid? Who will really wake up at 01h00 to use the Internet? Why didn’t they choose another time slot like 20h00 – 24h00.
* FRIDAY, June 5, FNB main branch Windhoek, three out of five ATMs are out of order.
* STANDARD Bank Namibia. To be honest your service is poor. Do you know that your ATM at Otjomuise shopping centre sucks. No let me not blame the ATM. Let me blame the staff. There’s never a receipt in your ATM or often there’s a print malfunction? Hello as a regular customer I want a perfect service.
* I THINK it would be good business if FNB, Standard Bank and Bank Windhoek were to put up ATM machines at Central and Katutura hospitals.
* WHAT is going on with Telecom marketing? We as consumers want to be informed and now its just rumours about Switch. Please tell us. We need more competition!
Lost And Found
* THE identity card of Mr Adrian Ntomwa No 84080810989 has been found. Contact 081-281-0418.
* I’VE LOST my wallet around Windhoek city. There is an ID and a smart card with Naftal Shetwaadha. Anyone please finding these can contact me on 081-329-5704.
Labour Issues
* QUALIFIED youths are roaming in the streets while so-called war veterans (pensioners) are holding positions in our ministries. We youths need jobs. Please step down
* WHEN are we going to be with our families if Namsov does not stop? Even on a holiday, we are just at sea in December also. We seamen need holidays like others. We only get two days at Walvis Bay and then you go back to sea. And if you take leave it will be unpaid. Please we need our wives. – Seaman