SMSes for Monday 10 September 2012
SMS Of The Day *WHY is the Swapo leadership quiet about the illegal closure of the school in the north for political reasons? Should we assume that the party is behind the move?
Food for Thought
*VERY interesting. Politicians are not in touch with the situation on the ground. Hage Geingob is complaining about over regulation negatively affecting Namibia’s economy, but is failing to understand that the over regulating laws he is making in parliament, for example the laws suppressing a poor ‘vetkoek’ trader from having a licence or to go to a market place kilometres away from his customers, has negative effects.
Bouquets and Brickbats
*JOHANNA Benson, girl you sent a clear message to the world. ‘Don’t underestimate the people from the Land of the Brave’! Well done Johanna, you make the whole nation very proud!
*WELL DONE The Namibian for giving such prominence to our ‘Golden Girl’! The ‘party’ couldn’t really have bothered ... Well done Johanna!
*FNB – another way of pocketing our money – N$18,50 fee on private accounts and N$9,00 fee on business accounts for “statement fee.” What next?
*THE OVERRATED miming artists (especially kwaito artists) are charging N$15 000 to N$25 000 for performances and event organisers are paying them willingly, but they are refusing to pay live bands (real musicians) a mere N$10 000. Where is the fairness!
*ELIJAH Ngurare must not say he is one of us youth who cannot afford to buy a house because he lives in a very beautiful house in Academia and does not even know Katutura. I wish I could also vote and my vote could definitely not go to him. You are living well, eating well, wearing expensive clothes and now you want to tell us nonsense. Youth, please avoid the blind eye.
*IF THE action of the parents, to close Haihambo Primary School is unconstitutional, then they must be charged for their silly and childish decision.
– OJ
*CITY of Windhoek, next time you organise a show, make sure all things are in place. The most disorganised show I have ever attended.
*STANDARD Bank used to be a good service-orientated bank with good service and friendly consultants who were passionate about their work. Now the call centre agents promise to get back to you but they don’t keep their promises, e-mails go unanswered. One stands in a queue for an hour as the consultants have a ‘I don’t care’ attitude. I am a frustrated client who is about to move banks.
*MINISTRY of Agriculture (MAWF) is a true joke. Some extension staff just sit in their offices ignoring small farmers. The president cries for food security. How is that to be achieved with lazy staff who only want to deal with paper work and not getting their hands dirty? Your tractor programme is a joke with tractors breaking down and no spare parts in the country. And land preparation starts too late. Could the Ministry of Environment please take over the entire MAWF!
*I AGREE 100 per cent with Robin Tyson. Editor, your excuse is not worthy. He talked about your expired means of reporting. Why does only Friday’s edition carry Ed column?
*THE DECLINE in health services is to be blamed on leadership. They put under/unqualified personnel in charge, forcing qualified personnel to quit or move to the private sector where their services are appreciated. For the minister, the honourable thing to do is to quit. He failed the ministry. No need for commission of enquiry. It’s a waste of resources.
– Dee Wa Dee.
*I DO not understand. Can somebody explain to me what the Swapo government is up to with its fortification of this country with its permanent roadblocks? I have never seen that anywhere else except in war-torn countries. After all, this is Africa.
n SMOKING Gun Presents: The world’s dumbest idea. ‘Swapo youth want condoms at schools’.
*SWAPO youth want condoms at schools. Is this a sick joke or is it an introduction to immoral behaviour among our children? Think again Ngurare!
*THE SWAPO Youth League secretary general advocates the distribution of condoms at schools as a solution to reduce infectious diseases and teenage pregnancies. Why does it not start at home instead?
*I SUPPORT sex education campaign in schools but I stand firmly against the condoms at school proposal from the Swapo youth. We’re called to protect our children and families from immorality. Please, stop it. Our kids are in danger! God bless Namibia!
*MAYORS want VIP status! For what? They failed to provide even affordable houses.
*EDUCATION authority, get your house in order. Mureti School, how can you just send children back home without prior notice to parents. Now children are wandering around Opuwo streets with no food and no accommodation. Come on Mureti, get serious!
*PARENTS who send their children to very expensive private schools are so stupid. Why? They take the responsibilities of the government who promise free education. The salaries of these teachers should be investigated.
Suggestion Box
*REQUESTS for law reform to the Electoral Commission of Namibia compiled all the suggestions from civil society, community, organisations, groups, individuals and parties. Could you put it into one booklet? We, the public, would like to see and know what numerous suggestions citizens of Namibia have contributed to the critical law reform of ECN. It is also good for students and researchers.
– Neib M
*CITY of Windhoek, please stop allocating erven to people doing business, such as bars in residential areas. The bar or club at Grysblok makes a lot of noise. Now that Grade 10 and 12s are going to write their exams, it is a big problem.
– Concerned Grysblok resident.
*ONGWEDIVA trade fair committee, the duration of your event is too short. Why not three weeks, or a month, like in Angola.
*WORD of advice to Olufuko organisers, please try to get another date for this event because we also want to come to Olufuko but we can’t because of the Ongwediva Trade Fair.
*HOW about banning all smoking in the malls? Non-smokers are subjected to smokers smoking in the passages instead of in the restaurants! Awful!
Civil Servants
*THE Ministry of Defence should increase the subsidies of its members so that they can afford to buy houses in their home country. Minister! Your last man cannot afford anything in this country while you only consider high ranking personnel. Soldiers are not resigning because of their work, they are doing it because of low pay.
*WHY are the teachers of Oshikoto Region, who taught vacation classes, treated unfairly? The guidelines received from the Ministry of Education is that the money to be paid is not taxable but for Oshikoto it will be taxed? The region refused to pay a total of six hours per day per teacher. They can apparently only pay the hours that a teacher is standing in the class. What about planning and marking? Regions like Ohangwena’s teachers are well paid and they got their money on the final day but Oshikoto received nothing up to now? Dr Iyambo please investigate.
*CIVIL Servants want the housing subsidy increased to N$500 000, but the real deal is that you can qualify for whatever amount and still we won’t afford the houses as the bank determines your worth based on your income and what you can afford. It would be better if the government adds the housing allowance to salaries of those who get subsidies, just like the ones residing in official quarters, for a small fee.
Sport
*THE leaders in Namibian sports should focus on the working class youth. Going back to the drawing board after the failure of our athletes at the Olympics just pushes us further back again! Athletes need time to develop, not just physically but mentally, and developing youngsters is a good thing. But is it certain they can reach their potential and fulfil it? We need focused, determined, hard-working athletes.
In and from the Regions
*HOME Affairs staff in Swakopmund are not doing their job. They delayed my full birth certificate without valid reasons.
*HOW on earth could Otavi town counsellors let the illegal diesel depot continue to operate between houses while the health and safety of residents are still at risk?
*I JUST want to ask Nabta, why do passengers from Eenhana to Katima pay the same amount of N$310 as passengers from Oshakati to Katima? From Oshakati to Eenhana is almost 145 kilos. Why should we be charged for the services we don’t use? Can Nabta please look into this matter?
*MINISTRY of Education, please help the Grade 10 learners of Kuisebmond Secondary School in Walvis Bay, we don’t have a mathematics teacher from the second term. Our mathematics results are very poor and mathematics is a compulsory subject.
– Anani
*PLEASE Minister of Education intervene. We bought school uniforms for our children and are paying school fees. Every day we have to buy food to be taken along in a lunch box which is our responsibility, but we are tired of weekly fund raising of N$3 throughout the year. Donatus Primary School, Otjiwarongo. The only school doing it in this town. Why should we pay money for our children not to wear school uniforms each Friday. Remember it is our hard-earned money that we must fork out. If you want to develop your school, get sponsors from somewhere else. Please don’t milk us as we are not cash cows.
Response to Previous SMS
*MEDICAL charges – The Namibian September 7. With consulting doctors come: Phoning for results, filling in sick leave forms, faxing prescriptions through and referrals and yet you want the Minister of Health to force private practitioners to provide these services free of charge to you! The Minister is already providing you with ‘free state medical care’! Your illness is your expense – pay for it the way you pay for your other expenses!