SMSes for Thursday 19 April 2012
SMS Of The Day *NAMIBIAN people, do not expect a better future and a better life if you are demanding it right now. Make your elected leaders be accountable and responsive to your needs otherwise you will only open your eyes after 30 years. Time to stand up now. – Kamati
Food for Thought
*HOW will we ever become a proud and respected nation if disobedience of traffic rules and driver discourtesy is tolerated, government buildings and schools are vandalised without any action taken, leaders indulge in self-enrichment, murderers and criminals run free while law-abiding citizens are behind burglar bars and courts set criminals free! What has happened to the principle of leading by example?
Bouquets and Brickbats
*LITTER. One of my foreign guests made a point of telling me that he saw a young lady in Swakopmund pick up a piece of paper and place it in a rubbish bin. I say thank you for your civic responsibility, young lady!
– Tour guide
*THANKS for the thought-provoking article ‘How Much Should Sex Matter’, of April 17. I would love to know what our homophobic African leaders would have to say about it. Seems they can't get their heads around gay men, let alone lesbians – but what about the new Australian passports for female, male, and indeterminate? Gotta love the 21st century.
– Tim, Eros
Off the Rails
*THE whys at TransNamib 1. Why is TN without a strategic direction under this current board? 2. Why and when was the second term of this board renewed? 3. Why is the board disintegrating activities within TN by dividing and confusing management? 4. Why is the board involved in day to day running of TN to such an extent of even stopping a simple thing like a swap transfer within the same department? 5. Why is the Anti-Corruption Commission quiet on TN issues after having probed the parastatal? 6. Why such a clear witch-hunt for some individuals to the detriment of TN? Who is to benefit from this circus? Dear Namibians, start asking relevant questions. Mr President please rescue the situation for the benefit of the country. Surely there must be someone up there who cares!
*HOW can Haimbili earn that salary? It is not only him all these so-called big bosses should earn a normal salary and rather get a performance bonus and only if the company made a profit!
*TRANSNAMIB chief executive officer why would Titus Haimbili want to renew anything now? Was it not his responsibility to see that everything went well? The boat is sinking, now you want to speak out. Go home and sit down. It is too late now. The responsibility of a CEO is to look out for the company’s interest. You were not competent enough.
*WHAT a shock to read that Mr Haimbili earned a monthly net salary of N$79 000! And still there is no performance. No wonder TransNamib finds it hard to keep everything rolling.
*AT least Haimbili spends on assets. What’s wrong with that? Others spend GIPF money on girlfriends, weekend shopping trips and air tickets to Jo'burg and Cape Town. Don’t persecute Haimbili for his investments.
Politics
*SWAPO Party Youth League stop attacking others like NBC and New Era. Concentrate on your own issues like the congress fight.
Running the Show
*DEAR Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development. There is so much corruption within the local government (local authorities) setup. I want to suggest that the employees of local authorities have the freedom to express, with or without consent of the employer, and divulge any corrupt practice. This will ensure that councillors and managers do not run the affairs of the local authorities as their private businesses. This will ensure fairness and accountability in all actions. Contrary to the constitutional freedom of expression, it seems that this freedom is limited within the local authorities setup to cover up evil deeds within these public organs. Please Minister, when approving the LA rules ensure that freedom of expression is guaranteed. Even better create a organ within the ministry where corrupt practices can be reported. I know the current setup within the ministry is not enough. Nor is the Anti-Corruption Commission or the Ombudsman’s Office up to this.
*AIR Namibia and Trans-Namib receive funds from government; correct? Funds to waste (it shows yearly)! President Pohamba please channel those funds to our pensioners.
Law and Order
*I WANT the Namibian Police to take down all the drug merchants in Windhoek because it’s a sad sight to see how many young people are addicted to these rocks. Guys are stealing and selling everything just to smoke rocks. People are losing their wives, girlfriends and their jobs and the merchants are just getting richer and fatter. In Diamand Street, Khomasdal there are two well-known merchants and everyone knows that but still nothing is done. Please act.
– Concerned parent
*MINISTER of Safety and Security is it allowed for a police officer to enter school premises, without informing the school principal, and going straight to a class disturbing the teacher during class and giving punishment in the form of push-ups? This incident happened at Ariamsvlei.
*MINISTRY of Justice we studied law because we wanted to assist in the process of justice in Namibia. Most of us who completed LLB degrees in 2011 are still sitting without jobs. We want to prosecute. Employ us and cause the wheels of justice to move faster. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Education
*MINISTRY of Education l want to ask whether it is wrong or right for a teacher to answer the phone while she or he is busy teaching? Oshawapala Combined School’s teachers have a problem. Some answer the phone even while they are busy teaching.
*THE executive management of secondary education should look on the issue of writing Grade 12 exams in halls. Halls have echoes and this really affects our listening skills. Listening is such a short session that only take 45 minutes, so special arrangements should be made for it to be written in classrooms. It’s really of great of concern and affects our English performance. Please treat this as an urgent matter before the October exam.
*PRINCIPALS were informed on April 17 to attend the strategic meeting for high school principals in Ongwediva on April 21. Was the meeting planned within a day? Just asking. Proper planning next time please.
*ON be behalf of the 2011/2012 learners at the Tuwilika Training Institute at Henties Bay, which falls under the Unam Centre and Namibia Training Authority bridging programme, we want to know where we are supposed to be enrolled at vocational training centres? Our course ended in February but so far we have been told to wait and no concrete information has been provided. Where or how should we look for help?
In and From the Regions
*OLD Mutual Oshakati Branch please modernise your office surroundings. Our cars are damaged weekly by deep holes surrounding your premises. This has been the case for years despite the record income you get from us. We are tired, do something.
– Concerned Client!!
*REHOBOTH Town Council please repair your street lights and replace the bulbs.
*ONDANGWA Town Council it has now been three weeks without rubbish bins being emptied. What is going on? Especially this side of Exit 6?
– Concerned resident.
NBC
*THANK you NBC for screening ‘Generations’. It is vital that gay and lesbian children are given positive role models so they do not feel alone or rejected.
n NBC repeat the programme on Peter Eneas Nanyemba aka Ndilimani Swapo’s late Secretary of Defence. It is very inspiring!
*IT seems that Swapo ministers wants the NBC to become more Swapo? They haven’t noticed that NBC TV is already a ‘no-go zone’ for opposition parties.
*NBC radio banned the Rally for Democracy and Progress from announcing their activities but on Thursday I heard Swapo politicians announce their 19 April activity. Is Swapo not a political party now? When RDP want to announce their party activities, the presenters say no. This must apply to any parties.
*I SUGGEST that NBC should consider a relationship with one of the most promising new global media Press TV. It is much better than Al Jazeera!
Lost and Found
*MY name is Shivolo Festus Shigwedha. I lost my ID and other cards. If found please contact me on 081-829-8893 or 081-348-2029.
*MY name is Christofine M Kandjibi. I lost my ID and all other documents in Windhoek April 2. Anyone with info can contact me at 085-129-5993.
*I BERTUS van Wyk lost my wallet with all my documents in Windhoek. If anyone finds them please call me on 081-278-1766.
Sporting
*I WANT to thank the management, technical advisor, two coaches, players and the supporters of the mighty Lively Lions for a job well done. I think this year all of them were in great form. History repeats itself. Proud Rehoboth supporter of Black Africa.
– SG Eiseb
Responses to recent SMSes
*I am responding to the SMS about importing fuel from Angola that appeared on April 16
It is indeed very true that the Angolan fuel is not refined to Namibian specifications in terms of lead and sulphur content, whoever is disputing that should come forth with facts and prove otherwise. Only gazetted specifications are allowed in the Namibian market, therefore it will be illegal to sell fuel specifications other than the gazetted ones. There is a new refinery under construction at Lobito in Angola which will be able to refine fuel specifications which are suitable to the Namibian vehicle population, however that is not completed yet. The Namibian government is well aware of the necessity to diversify fuel sources. When Namcor had a 50% mandate to source fuel for the country’s fuel needs it was sourcing fuel from other markets outside South Africa, however, that also had its own limitations. The need to diversify fuel sources to ensure security of supply is a matter that the Ministry is fully aware of and different options will have to be looked at in future.
I hope the above clarify the matter.
Lydia Ndapandula Amutenya
Liaison Officer
Ministry of Mines and Energy
*IN response to the SMS about ‘Generations’ gay kissing, in case you did not know being gay is nothing new to Namibia and TV doesn't turn people gay. These things are present in our society which is why TV shows like ‘Generations’ try to educate us since we never talk about it. Be more tolerant and open-minded about societal issues, for all you know your son, husband or nephew could be in the closet.
*I CONCUR with the person who wrote about the estimation of water that this practice borders on pure exploitation. Why estimate if there are water meters installed at every household? When I inquired from City of Windhoek I was informed it is because employees tasked to take the meter readings feel at times “too lazy” to go around doing their jobs so the City just estimates. I say God help us citizens who have to bear the brunt of their laziness!
*TSUDAO Gurirab you know very little about the real Zimbabwe. You use personal emotion and dislike of President Mugabe to label a beautiful country with the most free and empowered black people on this planet. When were you last in Zim Tsudao. Go to Zim again and write your article more factually.
*TO the person calling for taxi fares to be increased; do you know that Namibian taxi fares are (among) the highest in the Southern African Development Community if not in the world? Please get a mini bus to pick up more customers or get a different business to earn more.
*NO it’s not about assuming. The driver of the bakkie took the picture of the minibus and was not only taking a picture but also driving on a solid line. They were both on the wrong side.
*TEACHERS are not allowed to get involved in politics yet 80 per cent of politicians in Namibia were teachers. Please Deputy Minister, teachers are equal citizens like all others.
*I AM sorry but this is the reality. All vacancies ask for five to eight years of experience. What about those who are just graduating? Train your people and employ them or else stop sending students abroad to study.
*KUDOS to RA Amunyela. I strongly believe the Ministry of Education and other government agencies should do more to preserve our languages. In the apartheid days our parents were called the Afrikaans generation after independence we are called the English generation. When will we have an African language generation? Mind you Namibia is the only African nation without a common black language. In East Africa they have Swahili; Botswana: Setswana; Zambia: Bemba, Nyanja and Lozi; Zimbabwe: Shona and Ndebele and South Africa 65% of people can understand Isizulu. English and Dutch (Afrikaans) are not ours. Let us learn each others beautiful languages so as to minimise tribal tensions. On lacking the desire to love our languages surely we can’t blame a white man.
– African linguist