SMSes For Mon 02 Mar 09
* I READ the opinion article of Ngurare (Swapo) and Hidipo (RDP) that appeared in The Namibian of February 27 2009. I am not and have never in my life been a supporter nor member of an opposition party since joining Swapo as a young secondary student in 1985. However, the political argument that our leadership sometimes advances lacks coherent and rational understanding of what Namibia needs to push its developmental agenda from stagnant or snail’s pace progression. We should discuss issues of relevance to the aspirations and expectations of the populace and take Namibians out of the yoke of poverty which is so evident in rural Namibia. So, politics should not be warfare but let’s harness our collective strength and potential for a better Namibia irrespective of which side of the political side you are. At elections, we then re-affirm our confidence in the leadership when they performed, and those colleagues who are found wanting then have to retire. Simple as that!
Food For Thought
* IF Dr Kawana [Minister of Presidential Affairs] says they took the cost of living into account when approving salary increases for civil servants and political office bearers, we presume they will do the same when it comes to pensioners. And what about the average citizen? Will we get a tax break to help us cope?
Politics
* OUR country is about to turn into Zimbabwe: the ruling party is governing with an iron fist, and cholera is about to break out soon because of the water crisis in Walvis Bay. – ‘Die Leeu’
* APOLOGIES for sending a long message. A German theologian, Martin Niemoller, was an anti-Semite and admirer of Hitler. As Nazism took hold, however, Niemoller saw Nazism for what it was. It was not the Jews Hitler sought to exterminate, it was anyone with an alternative viewpoint. When Niemoller spoke out, he was incarcerated. While in incarceration, he wrote a poem: “First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists and I did not speak put because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.” While there is remotely no comparison to what is currently happening in Swapo and Nazi Germany, I have referred to Niemoller to communicate a profound preoccupation and deep concern about the disturbing silence of the historic Swapo leaders such as Theo-Ben Gurirab, Hage Geingob, Ben and Libertina Amathila not to mention President Hifikepunye Pohamba. Andimba Toivo ya Toivo had spoken out clearly. I am dumb-founded by their silence in the face of a systematic campaign of self-destruct carried out by some against those suspected of sympathising with the RDP party, a campaign modelled on McCarthyism in the USA against any and all Senator McCarthy accused as communist simply because did like or disagreed with them. It is frightening to imagine whether those engaged in the purging campaign are able to predict if the end result will be a rainbow or flood. The arbitrary dismissal of the Mayor of Windhoek and three other Councillors is the case in point. The action by Michael Mwinga should not be allowed to stand.
* OUR Swapo Party, I don’t understand why if they hear that one of their members joins the other party, why do they have to dismiss a particular person if we are living in the country of free democracy and freedom of choice. – Spongelike, Windhoek
* IT is terrible to see how Swapo Party is tearing itself apart, what a pity really. But it is not surprising to some of us who were in exile to see the current witch hunting within Swapo Party. Remember the Lubango dungeon story. The Swapo Party will never accept independent thinking. Only praise singers will survive. I say so because it is a well-known fact that Gwen Lister was defending the Swapo movement in her writing during the liberation struggle but now just because she wants to express a different opinion, she is perceived as not patriotic enough and the Swapo Government banned the Government from buying or advertising in her paper The Namibian. Only sycophants, the unknown latecomers and people like the Mwingas will survive. Remember come November, you know that Namibia does not need a dictatorship government. Let us go and vote and get the sycophants out and put in real leaders to look into our economy, unemployment, education, health, HIV-AIDS, hunger, disease and poverty. – The Patriot
* THOUSANDS of people are suffering because of floods but the Swapo Government is only concerned about the RDP and buying luxury jets
* The Swapo purge of its members reminds me of Stalinism at its worst. How paranoid must the Swapo leadership be, to be so afraid of any dissenting opinion. But please, just continue like that. Swapo is creating more opposition by the day with this.
Bouquets And Brickbats
* G3 keep up the good music! Proud of you!
City Fathers, Please
* IT’S about time for legislators to review all laws that only serve to enrich some. The housing prices rise uncontrollably and it makes one wonder, what was the fight for a better life all about if the majority of Namibians are unable to afford housing. Let alone a piece of land in this city. Who is going to control the blatant capitalistic tendencies of the City of Windhoek and the councils in general?
* MY car’s rims have been damaged twice by deep potholes in the jurisdiction of the City of Windhoek. Can I sue them for poor road services?
In And From The Regions
* PLEASE Ondangwa Town Council, do something about the water that is coming to our houses. If you can’t manage local water how can you manage the flood that is coming?
General
* NDF members assist anyone in need not only King Kauluma as alleged by the SMS last week. They have assisted flood, drought and veld fire victims by means of ground and air transport and erecting bridges. Even in UN/AU Peace Missions abroad, NDF members assist local people in need. To suggest otherwise is insulting.
– Hafeni
And Justice For All
* THERE is a lack of cohesion between the courts and the Police. Why should a matter be postponed and a suspect kept in jail while there is no evidence in the case and one suspect in the case is dead? How can they go further with the case if all the suspects are not available? One dead and one not being called to testify as a witness? Oshakati court look for evidence and go further with the case and at least give the person bail or otherwise let the person be free. – Adnil
Water Woes
* I WAS so disturbed when I read your SMS of the day on February 26, which advised the GRN to move the flood victims in the north to higher grounds. I would like urge the writer to familiarise him/herself with the northern landscape. One wonders as to what higher grounds the writer referred to. Some houses are even located in Omufitu (if you understand what that means), and yet they are flooded. So, where do you move them? Please be informed prior to your comments. – Aron
* IF one considers the solution to flooded areas in the North (that appeared on February 26), I’ll redirect his/her thinking to Asian countries affected by earthquake but they haven’t fled these areas. It is good giving your thoughts but with a sense of maturity and deep scrutiny for the alternatives. I won’t believe all must be resettled unless in a nightmare. – Ferdinand A S
Disconnections
* WHAT’S wrong with MTC? Whenever you give promotions you cut off the network. What do u mean? – Erilee
* MTC can’t you make sure you provide enough network before your promotions? We are now sick of promotions that don’t benefit all of us especially this weekend’s free calls where just a waste of our hard-earned N$10, and this isn’t the first time!
* WHY do NBC Radio and TV present the news at the same time, especially in the evening! – PK, Walvis Bay
* MTC: No, please! You cannot fool us like that. I couldn’t make one single call through the “TWS” provision. Do you want to blame the ‘network’ as usual? I’ll think twice next time before falling for your empty promises.
* NO MTC this is unacceptable, you say we can call for free the whole weekend but I did not make a single call e.g. network busy. I wasted my N$10. Thank you for not fixing your network.
* THIS MTC TWS service is killing to be honest. I didn’t apply for it because I thought of it as irritating. Calls are not getting through from 7 to 7, and SMSes getting delivered after four hours leaving our phones batteries empty. Please MTC, at least make your service strong when offering these money-making offers please. – Penny Windhoek
* MTC must stop with their products if their network can’t accommodate all their customers. They waste people’s valuable time and money. You cannot make an emergency call because the network is busy throughout the whole weekend. Do something you make more than N$10 million dollars a day. What is wrong? Is the network still small compared to customers. This is poor service.
* MTC Weekend free calls: We thank MTC for making the “disconnection”. It is terrible.
* WHAT a disaster with MTC. No network again. Please news desk we need to hear from MTC whether they will reimburse our 10 dollars. They took our money but we could not make the connection. Instead of buying 30 Volvos they could have upgraded the network capacity.
Zimbabwe
* Just some months ago there was no crisis in Zimbabwe according to SADC leaders. Now what does Zimbabwe now need the billions for? However we helped them to fight cholera. Should we now help them again even if Mugabe is having lavish birthday parties? We should not, especially since our President doesn’t do that.
General
* I’M not xenophobic, but I’m just wondering why we have a significant number of foreigners living with us in Katutura under conditions we wish were different e.g. sewerage water running in the street (Selina Haitembu Street). Are we going to win the battle against poverty as we seem to be importing it as well? Home Affairs and or OPM please respond.
Labour Issues
* I ASSUME that a lot of Namibians have problems with our Namibian police! Police people please don’t go to work drunk, this is where you guys don’t do your work properly! I want to request that all Police should be tested when they start and when they leave work to see whether they are intoxicated or not! Please fellow Namibians let’s take action against this aggression! – Concerned law student!
* THE new civil service grading is still flawed. Education officers, other than inspectors, are graded below school principals whom they supervise in curriculum implementation – the core of education. What injustice! We don’t need a brain drain, do we? These are curriculum/ subject specialists. Such discrimination will force them to seek greener pastures elsewhere.