SMSes for Wednesday 04 January 2012
SMS Of The Day *FELLOW Namibians, let’s look at our strengths in 2011 and build on them. Let us also vow not to celebrate mediocrity in whatever we do and reward excellence; let us do away with empty sloganeering and put shoulder to the wheel. To all in leadership positions, it’s not only about hanging onto power but leading by example to encourage excellence, ethics and accountability. As a nation we must hold our leaders responsible and stop our blind loyalty; only then can we make 2012 a prosperous year which I wish for all.
Food for Thought
*ONE wonders whether the new generation is aware that all the big dams in Namibia were designed and constructed by Namibians (the erstwile Construction Division of the then Dept of Water Affairs) for which international recognition was received through winning numerous awards. It simply boggles the mind that the capacity no longer exists in our beloved country to do that and that foreigners have to fight it out to get the tender for the construction of Neckertal Dam!
Bouquets and Brickbats
*TRAVELLING from Windhoek to Tsumkwe and back it was reassuring to see so many roadblocks and speed cameras. It made me feel safer on the road. Well done to the Police and Happy 2012.
– Edwina
*GREAT new road between Okahandja and Karibib. Well done! There are however solid lines missing on many blind rises! Very dangerous and will definitely claim many lives if not fixed soon!
*A GUESTHOUSE, a Quantum taxi, swimming pool, stadium, houses for pensioners etc. Aroab is the best town council in Namibia because its own people are running their affairs.
*CITY of Windhoek I applaud you on the recent renovation of the Wernhil taxi rank. However there’s still chaos and rude drivers grabbing our bags because of a lack of organisation from your side. Let taxis stand according to destinations. This allows a smooth flow and more order. Please take an example from Cape Town’s main rank.
*DEAR editor, the ‘loyal 120km/hr guy’ has many excellent points and your dismissive note at the end is out of line. You choose to ignore the wider picture. Our traffic runs at three different rates of speed with cars at 120km/h, buses at 100 and trucks at 80 and this causes great frustration and many problems. Add to that the many unlicensed or fraudulent drivers, those who are impatient and you have the recipe for most accidents
Wish List for 2012
*MY New Year’s wish for our President is to give effect to zero tolerance against corruption by releasing the bulk of reports currently getting dusty to improve the image of our beloved country.
*I REQUEST ALL service providers to please train their workers to be 1. Friendly 2. Respect customers 3. To say thank you. 4. Not to chew gum when attending to customers. Customer service is pathetic in Namibia. Can we please change in the New Year?
General
*WHY doesn’t everyone attach their cellphone number to their car/house keys? That way a simple inexpensive call establishes ownership and a means of return. I recently found a very expensive-looking Toyota car key and beeper which I could have returned very easily if I been able to contact the owner.
*I THINK that there should be more social parties etc for under-18’s but you should be above 12 years old.
– Jessica Hancox
City Fathers Please
*PLEASE City of Windhoek Kleine Kuppe Street has not had a signpost for the past two years.
– Concerned resident
Health Matters
*I WOULD like to draw Minister Kamwi’s attention to the Ongulumbashe clinic. It has large cracks in the walls which is a danger to both patients and health workers alike. Another problem is the clinic is very small and cannot cater for the increased patient population.
– Johanna Matti
*WHY is the Hakahana Clinic constantly out of birth-control medicine? It’s very inconvenient.
– BR.
*IN Kunene Region the Ministry of Health has started spraying houses to prevent malaria. When is the Omaheke Region starting, especially in Witvlei. We suffer throughout the year. Please spray inside the houses as we cannot afford Doom every day. Prevention is better than cure.
Education
*MINISTER of Education please look at the results of Design and Technology and phase out this subject because Namibia lacks skilled teachers for it.
*CAN the Ministry of Education tell us when exactly when they are going to mail/post our approval letters for loans.
*POLYTECH when are we going to receive our admission letters? We have not received anything. Please do it early because some of us want to pay our tuition fees.
Labour Issues
*PLEASE provide jobs for the youth like me so that we don’t fall into traps of vacancies advertised in newspapers which don’t even exist. I lost money to this.
Law and Order
*POLICE at Ohangwena please do your job. We are tired of robbers breaking into our rooms while we are sleeping. And the Police just say how can a criminal enter a room while you are sleeping there. We at the Engela Hospital nurses’ home are living in fear.
*ONDANGWA traffic officers are placing a speed trap outside the town on the Oshikango road enforcing a speed limit of 60km/h. What is confusing is that the only sign there says 120. They must first put the sign up before enforcing the fines.
– Local driver
And the Winner Is!
*PENTECOSTAL Protestant Church you had a raffle for a Corolla 1.6. You haven’t drawn a winner yet. Please give back the money that we paid for the tickets.
In and From the Regions
On the increase
*CAN the Ministry of Health in Karas Region not do something about the many bees at the nurses’ home at Keetmanshoop Hospital because they are really a threat to human life. Many people have been stung and some got severe allergic reactions. The bees are increasing. Thousands can be seen at the nurses’ home. When you take a bath or hang out clothes many enter because of the smell coming from the soap. Please do something before people die.
*SWAKOP Municipality please invest in a switchboard for your new offices. I tried five times this morning before my call was answered. The receptionist obviously can’t cope with the volume of calls and confirmed this when I asked. Time for some technology?
Service Please
*PLEASE Home Affairs don't you have the apostrophe in your computers or why you don't want to use it in our names where it’s needed, for example, Shily'omuntu? I want an apostrophe in my name please not an 'i'. This problem is not just mine but many complain about incorrect IDs. Correct them because some are already with you especially those needing an apostrophe. Please change. We want correct IDs. What is so difficult there?
*I NOTE that my bank charges me N$40 for a deposit book. Having recently published a far bigger higher quality book with full colour photos on almost all of the roughly 400 pages, I note that those cost around N$70 each including editing. It was also a limited print run of only a couple of thousand copies. My FNB deposit book has not been edited for many years (it has had one block too few for the account number for the longest time), it has no full colour photos and it probably enjoys print runs of many thousands at a time. What a rip-off! I reckon these books cost no more than a few dollars each to produce. Shame on FNB! You already charge a lot just to accept deposits, there is no excuse for this.
*OMUTHIYA Nampost branch you need to either increase the number of your employees or the number of chairs, our grannies are tired of standing in long queues.
Lost and Found
*I PICKED up a driver’s licence for P KUENDA code: B. Contact me to get your licence at 081-686-0478.
*I, SEKSON Hamunyela, lost my ID and bank cards in Windhoek last Thursday. If found please text me or call me on 081-321-3829.
*LOST money found at Wernhil. Contact 081-740-0999 between 09h00 and 17h00.
*I FOUND an ID, driver’s licence and other items for Swartz Ludger Gunter. Please call 081-243-6861.
*I VILHO Nkand Shigwedha lost my ID in Windhoek. If found please contact cell: 081-337-6089.
Responses to recent SMSes
*NAMIBIANS should stop taking government to court because of corrupt tenders because we end up footing the bill? Yeah I’m sure government would like it if we used such broken logic. Besides, if the tender process is above board they wouldn’t be footing the bill.
*IT’S unfortunate to read untrue stories that China’s support to the liberation of Namibia through Swapo was a drop in the ocean. What a disgrace! If Min Mutorwa was named as a recipient of the Chinese training it was a mistake from the printer. Rather John Mutwa Major General and army commander. One other recipient from the Chinese is Rtd Lieutenant General Raonga Andima. Comrade Ithana knows her history well. China trained and supplied us with big guns, small arms, hand grenades and explosives. China sacrificed lots like other peace loving nations.