SMSss for Friday 28 January 2011
SMS Of The Day *CAN the President-appointed Governors please tell us what development and other beneficial community activities they have so far - two months after being appointed - brought about? We’ve heard much talk about what is going to be done but very little about what really has been achieved. We would like the Governors to provide a monthly update on their achievements to the NBC TV news and the newspapers so that we can see if they have really earned their salaries that the taxpayers pay them. Give only the facts; no long winded talking.
Food for Thought
*UNEMPLOYMENT will remain high for as long as we are greedy. How can one person hold 3 - 4 positions at various companies and receive 4 - 6 cheques monthly? Do they really cope and perform well? For example you are a CEO, manager of a private company and a board member of 3 - 6 companies. Please release yourself, its good for your health!
Bouquets and Brickbats
*CONGRATULATIONS to our country’s newly appointed Chief of the NDF, Lieutenant-General Epaphras D Ndaitwah. A veteran soldier who performed well in the DRC in 2008!! Save the Namibian nation and the SADC region as well!
*THANK you Dr Ngurare for saying what must be said to the American government; without fear. We expect that from you. Millions in the world have yearned for this and expect the US to do the right thing on Cuba and Palestine. US hypocrisy must stop!
– Tya Okahwa
*ALL kudos to the Government for sticking to their guns regarding the traffic violation fines. Maybe now road users can look forward to safe travel.
*THE City Clock: Windhoek received a facelift. Thanks to Media Solutions Group. Now we can be on time. What a good idea that’s surely a combination of practicality and efficiency at it’s best. Keep it up! Salute.
– Happy, Windhoek.
*WHY is Katutura Cemetery in that state? We can’t find our loved ones in that tall grass. There might even be snakes so City of Windhoek get your act together.
*WITH tears in my eyes, me and my children had to look on and see how people were being shot at like dogs and filth. The people of Namibia should be ashamed of themselves for keeping quiet and allowing this.
*SO much for mosquito nets being used for fishing - just hope they were not donated by some organisation trying to help combat malaria!
Taxi Talk
*I’M from Donkerhoek and although people have the right to voice their concerns, I do not like the fact that my neighborhood was held under siege by the demonstrating taxi drivers.
– CPN
*LET each taxi driver pass a very strict test again. Do they all have a genuine drivers licences?
– Waltraut
*WHY are the taxi drivers protesting? They are the ones who are causing accidents stopping anywhere and showing no respect for the law. Just obey the law or quit as taxi drivers and go home to cultivate please.
*TAXI drivers look like they do not know how many accidents they caused because of their speeding and road sign ignorance. How many people die in taxis and buses? Please Roads Authority can you give us statistics only for last year. They need to be pushed to obey the rules.
*WITHOUT the law, no protection. Can the taxi fines be adjusted in a different way? For example if a driver gets two tickets within six months, he must be fined at a higher rate valid for a year. And after months, if he drives safely start over again at the lower amount. Just to prevent friction among the nation. Don’t use force.
*THE brutal attack on taxi drivers by the so called ‘special reserve force’ shows total disregard for human life. The Police should be trying to protect life not take it.
*TAXI drivers and the struggling work seekers are the victims of these outrageous traffic fines.
*WHAT does the City of Windhoek do with all the money they get from taxi drivers? The roads all over Windhoek are full of potholes. So on top of the heavy fines, they have to fix their cars every month as well because of the bad roads in the city?
*CAN MVA provide us with the statistics or percentages that confirm that taxis are the main contributors of fatal road accidents. I’m not a taxi driver but I have observed that our traffic officers do target mainly taxis rather than private cars.
– Mike
*THE City Fathers have failed the nation through unaffordable heavy fines and water and electricity bills. Who is fooling who? Take my house now and take the taxi driver’s car next time.
*WATCH out NUNW, your Secretary General is power hungry. When did Nabta become a member of NUNW? What does he want with taxi drivers? Nabta wake up, someone is dividing your members. From GIPF to Nabta - strange. Watch out!
– Fungamwango
*MY only nightmare when I take my car? Taxis! It happened again this morning when one taxi jumped the red light. And they are complaining about high fines? Please!
*TRAFFIC is in order since the taxi drivers went on strike. I think we should keep the fines as they are.
*NABTA is a joke. We call on our Government to establish a proper controlling body for taxis. At present the commuters are held at ransom by motorised hooligans who have no respect for the law. Regular driving tests, roadworthiness of vehicles and control of driving behaviour must be enforced by law. We have had enough of this unruly mob!
The Good Book
*MINISTER of Education, what on earth is CCN thinking by suggesting the re-introduction of Bible Studies in schools? We are in a secular society and the Bible was a catalyst for colonialism in our motherland.
– S S ya Nakatanah
*PASTOR Maria Kapere, CCN SG, I strongly believe Cde President Pohamba and his Cabinet will favourably consider your proposal. Thank you for all the effort the CCN puts in to eradicate the ills in our society. Nation building, with the Bible as the most powerful weapon, is the best recipe for success.
– John Adams, Khomasdal.
*WELL done to those responsible for getting the Bible reintroduced in schools. Maybe now children will learn respect and love for others and not focus so much on themselves and what they can get. Loving relationships, first with God, then with those around us will only improve your life.
*THE Bible must not be imposed in schools. Freedom of any religious faith is a right and a private wish and it can not be imposed on school students or on anyone in Namibia. And if so, all religious faith’s ‘Bibles’ must be allowed, and not only the Christian Bible.
Education
*CDE Abraham Iyambo you are a hero! Please instruct school inspectors to do as you did and write a report on each of these visits. These reports must be made accessible to interested people. Can you demote useless principals and give their jobs and privileged salary to a dedicated teachers instead? Aluta continua!
*DR Iyambo you talked to the teachers; now please talk to the children too about the bad behaviour at home and on the streets. If the teachers were bad all learners would have failed.
– Concerned parent.
*DR lyambo, as a parent l don’t know what Ruacana High School is promoting by making evening study, including for day learners, who knock off at 21h00. Since there are lots of criminals what if something bad happens on the way back home? I am not against day study but have fear about what is happening in our country nowadays.
– From unhappy parent.
*EMPELHEIM JS when will Grade 10 leaners start with classes if there is still no timetable?
– Concerned parent.
*I AM aged 23 and I want to go back to school to start in Grade 8 but the principals don’t want that. Please I want to study. Minister of Education Dr Iyambo help me in this.
Law and Order
*CAN the Government clarify whether new traffic fines will go into Government coffers or to improving road safety.
*DON’T drink and drive. A highly intoxicated truck driver came out of a shebeen and started driving at a very high speed in Agste Laan causing everyone to run for cover. His friends tried to calm him down but he kept on driving until he crashed into my car and then sped away. The truck reg is (number supplied) a Shacman, maroon in colour. If you are the owner please call 081-204-6981 for more info. Luckily the damage is not serious.
In and From the Regions
*NAMWATER Houses in Okahandja are being rented out to the public. Due to a lack of proper supervision, the water and electricity bills of some of the houses went sky high. The previous owners never bothered to pay the outstanding bills. Now they require the people who want to rent these houses with high bills to make arrangements and pay the outstanding bill on top of the rental amount as well as the monthly electricity bill. How fair is that?
*THE Vaalgras community please get real we are so few and very behind with developing ourselves. Please let’s drop division and stand together to develop our small community. Work together with the Governor and get a clinic and police station which is most needed here. I know we can do it but just by working together.
*GOVERNMENT vehicles are misused most on weekends and after hours where they are parked behind drinking places. It is high time for the Police in Opuwo to impound these cars please!
*GOVERNOR Kashuupulwa and Governor Usko Nghaamwa please do something about the Okatana-Endola gravel road. It is dusty and very bad. It must also be noted that if that road is extended to Onhuno it will increase economic activities between Oshakati and Oshikango.
– Ndahaloteya
*MARIENTAL Municipality please we are low income civil servants but want to build houses for our children. When will we get erven if they are only for business?
*PLEASE Karas Governor why is a young girl who is pregnant sitting among the other young kids? Why not wait at least until after giving birth? This is a primary school not a secondary school. We are confused.
General
*CAN someone tell me what is the difference between LCD, LED and plasma TVs?
Note: The Weekender team is working on this and will place an article shortly.
– News Desk
Labour Issues
*I NEED help. What employee benefits are mandatory for any company? What are the criteria used in providing benefits such as car allowance, housing, etc? I work at a place where I see irregularities.
Note: Speak to the HR department of said company if possible and/or check the Labour Code.
– News Desk
NBC
*DEAR NBC please note Mr Numbala is the PRO of NamWater and not NamPower and he reports on the dam levels. Nampower has nothing to do with dam levels. (News on 26 Jan 2011).
Service Please
*MTC please install a tower between Mariental and Maltahohe as most tourists, travellers and inhabitants can be stuck on this road for hours if something happens.
– A Karigub
*KFC WALVIS BAY. Why does the sign on the door say you open at 09h00 and when I stand in front of your shop at 10h00 you are still busy cleaning the floor and wave me away when I point to the sign? Does the owner know what is going on there?
*STANDARD Bank why can we not have an ATM machine in Okakarara like Bank Windhoek and FNB? Please help your customers.
– Standard Bank customers.
*TO whom can one report sub standard inter-ministerial service delivery. For example inability to get needed transport, availability of school stationery in Government store warehouses and the perennial failure to do maintenance work at Government buildings? Please help by giving me the requested information.
Responses to recent SMSes
*I AM angry when people say Central or Katutura nurses home is dirty while the people who are there are cleaners, security guards, people renting who pay the owners. Nurses from the regions who come to study should pay their accommodation elsewhere!
– Angry nurse.
From NBC
*For the third weekend now, we get to see sports events that happened 20 years ago! Do they think Namibians are all fools?
We have initiated a project called ‘Sport in History’. Within the framework of this project, NBC TV showcased various major sporting events that have taken place in Namibia since independence as well as the people involved. The NBC revisited relevant file material, selected some of the most significant events and packaged them for rebroadcast. It is regrettable that you think that we think of Namibians as fools in this instance.
*Could NBC please play Twilight once again please. And this time please inform us of when you are going to play it like you do with other movies.
Please be informed that NBC did not broadcast the movie ‘Twilight’ and cannot therefore rebroadcast it.
*NBC showed a violent movie on Sunday night with a woman being raped. Doesn’t that promote violence that they claim to denounce?
It is correct that there were scenes of violence in the movie broadcast on that Sunday night. We would like to extend our sincere apologies to all sensitive viewers for any distress the scenes might have caused them. We are constantly reviewing our content and will be more vigilant in future.
*It’s about time NBC starts rating its movies. This past Sunday’s movie had pornographic scenes and ought to be rated 16SNV. At least they must display the rating on screen throughout the movie as it plays.
This is a gem of an advice and since this is common broadcasting practice, we regret our oversight. We would like to assure our viewers that we will implement a rating system for our movies as soon as possible.
*Can the NBC please tell me what is the selection criteria for radio presenting? Albertus can you please re-look at your radio presenters. An indigenous accent is no excuse for miss-spelling and pathetic pronunciation of words and names! It is perfectly understandable to concentrate on strategy, but your presenters on the frontline continue to tarnish your image.
We are agreed that these types of errors are inexcusable as they speak to our standards. It is part of the improvements we are envisaging going forward.
*I’m glad that Mr Albertus Aochamub of NBC is now responding to our queries. Could you please make sure that the subtitles of the news are correctly spelled and that your ‘newscasters’ do their research regarding the pronunciation of certain words.
Thank you for your positive feedback. We are striving to be amongst the most competitive newscasters on the continent and the areas you are referring to are amongst those we are working on daily.
*I hope NBC will broadcast the Hockey World Cup Namibian team matches.
Our Sports Desk is currently negotiating for the broadcasting rights. We have no budgets for these rights but if there are sponsors who are willing to become our partners we can broadcast every game and all codes all the time.
– Albertus Aochumub
NBC Director General