SMSes for Thursday 02 August 2012
SMS Of The Day *MINISTRY of Finance you give the old people who built up the country $500 but the government has money for statues and name changes. Money to waste. It’s a shame.
Food for Thought
*WE love and appreciate our Founding Father, but does everything in Namibia have to be named after him? We have other people who played a part in our history. When are they going to be honoured? And even if the name Lüderitz is colonial, how are we going to teach our children about what God has delivered us from if we change it? There are more pressing matters in the nation than name changing. Let’s focus on those and build a better future for the next generation.
– Concerned young person
Bouquets and Brickbats
*YES Swapo. Go and waste another million or two on reminding yourselves of your struggle credentials. God knows it’s the only thing still worth remembering and you know it too. Why else would you dwell on it instead of making progress?
Man on a Horse
*IF the Reiterdenkmal goes, good riddance! I consider it a colonial relic. I would prefer a sculpture of one of the less well-known anti-colonial leaders such as Jacob Marengo or Anton Lubowski or Anna Kakurukaze Mungunda, but I’m not fussy. And no I’m not a Malema-type racist, I’m a white guy from Klein Windhoek!
*THE Reiterdenkmal removal is not going to make the history go away! If President Pohamba really wants to stop the mockery of the statue, as he says, replace it with the heroes of that era. Put up a denkmal for that war! People must remember that that war happened!
*PRESIDENT Pohamba was quoted saying it pained him every morning when he woke up to see the Kurt von Francois statue and even more so the equestrian statue. All I can say is to our President is that it pains me every morning when I wake up to see a communist North Korean State House worth nothing but costing hundreds of millions. Please build something worthwhile instead!
*IF President Pohamba is pained looking at the Reiter we, who have and still are making huge financial amends for wrongs of 100 years past, are pained by the state of disrepair and neglect of government buildings and institutions, while the country’s leaders drive past hungry and desolate youngsters in the streets and shebeens in darkly tinted Mercs and BMWs.
*THE statement in the newspaper article – that the Reiterdenkmal is making way for the Nujoma statue – is incorrect: the Nujoma statue will be erected in front of the new Independence Memorial Museum, which is the old location of the Reiterdenkmal, not in front of the Alte Feste, where the Reiterdenkmal was moved to, at a cost of N$500 000 or more, in 2009-2010 – all paid for by private companies. I can understand the government wanting to get rid of the Reiter, as it represents a German victory in the colonial wars of 1904-1907. However, I am sure that there will be private initiatives to preserve it in some form, even it is to be shipped back to Germany and preserved in some colonial history museum. For me it would make sense to leave the Reiter in its current location in front of the Alte Feste, and integrate the grounds and garden with that of the new museum and statue. In that way the two museums and statues can tell the whole story of Namibia’s history, from colonial times through the independence struggle up to present times.
In and From the Regions
*THE gravel road between Omatjete and Otjohorongo needs serious attention from the Roads Contractor Company and Roads Authority. This road destroys vehicles of the residents. Wake up regional councillor. Help your voters.
*DOES the Otjiwarongo municipality’s meter repairer know where the DRC location is? Why don’t they employ someone who knows the town well?
*WE can’t afford electricity in Karas Region any longer. It’s so expensive, Selco is killing us. Government please do something about it.
Law and Order
*IT would be more professional if NaTIS could have bigger halls/rooms where people can write tests. Examiners can attend to people concurrently, rather than booking. It will avoid people overnighting there and also contribute to the safety of the applicants.
Education
*MINISTER of Education, Abraham Iyambo, please introduce the same promotion requirements for JS Phase (8-10) in 2013 in order to avoid a lot of inconvenience surrounding this issue!
*I AM an aggrieved mom whose child goes to Eros Primary School. She has been a victim of thieves-cum-learners since she started Grade1 last year. My request to parents is please always return to school items like shoes, windbreakers or takkies that your child brings home but that you did not buy.
Health Matters
*I AM very concerned about the Ebola cases reported in the Uganda. Do we in Namibia have enough control measures for the travellers like screening for those going and coming from those areas? I am almost sure that our health authorities would not be able to contain or control the outbreak with the limited resources and facilities we have in Namibia. We had better try to prevent this as much as we can.
*DR ABRAHAM Iyambo please do something at Gammams Primary School in Khomasdal. There has been no water for weeks. The toilets smell and there is no water for the children to drink. My daughter has to carry a litre of water to school.
Service Please
*WHAT happened to Goanikontes? Price hikes will keep Namibians away.
*TRANSNAMIB, we need passenger trains back to transport us between Otjiwarongo, Windhoek and the coast. Our roads are not safe anymore.
*WHAT has become of Standard Bank? Please tell me how, at month-end, four of the six ATMs are out of service at the main branch. Management do something
*DEVELOPMENT Bank of Namibia why is your application process taking six months?
NBC
*I WANT to write an open letter to NBC TV. I saw a programme of ‘Know Namibia Today’ on July. It is a good programme but how disappointing that the translation is totally different from what the elder is saying. They sent out a totally wrong idea.
Lost and Found
*I ADLEID Kamberipa lost my ID. If found please contact me on 081-201-2557.
Responses to recent SMSes
*NATIONS on this planet are free to honour and practise their traditions and customs even where Christianity originated. Those opposing Olufuko work to force European cultural neo-colonialism on Namibia and the nations of Africa. They are most confused and an enemy of our pure African way of life.
*I STRONGLY support the Olufuko festival which will be held in Outapi. We want to know our culture as Namibians. Christianity was introduced in Africa.
*I SUPPORT the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia for taking a decision to denounce the revival of the girls’ initiation rite known as Olufuko. Olufuko is a barbaric practice and if is revived it will bring many evils and we do not want that!
*OLUFUKO must be rejected and shunned because most of the ritual practices there are evil and dirty. I know for sure none of those initiators will allow their daughters to undergo that practice. It is common knowledge that girls undergo virginity tests carried out by both men and women. And in many cases, girls refuse to drink or eat anything given to them because the food and drinks are spiked by old men.
*I HAVE noted since the story on renaming Caprivi was published, youth, from all tribal groups in the Caprivi, have voiced out their dissatisfaction with the proposed name change, especially on social media such as Facebook. It would be a good idea to report on the feelings of the youth, because it shows how the tribal issue, is not a matter when reading most of the comments. They raise different reasons why they think the name change is not necessary.
*IT’S true, the renaming of Caprivi and Lüderitz is a waste of time and energy. We won’t achieve anything. Our people will still be starving and poor. But the arrogant parliamentarians we voted for are the masters, they will push their will whether the people want it or not. MPs only listen during elections, thereafter they become bosses of the masses. That’s why they are called VIPs and we become useless. Wait and see.
*I THINK name change is good, but Windhoek should not be changed. Caprivi Region should be named Mama Region, because this will stand for MA-Yeyi, MA-Subbia, MA-Fwe, MA-Totela, MA-Mbukushu. Go to Europe and you will not find any African town or street name. In Namibia we like to complain for no reason in defence to our laziness.
*IT’S high time that someone raised the issue of the name changes. I’m tired of being called a Caprivian when I don’t even know what it means.