SMS Of Friday 11 September 2009

* THE ECN is up for free and chaotic elections whilst the nation expects free and fair ones. People with standard qualifications did apply to keep things in order but in the Sesfontein constituency it’s clearly tough to understand how some people were shortlisted. Please help us in that matter.
– NRU

Food For Thought* TO prevent rigging of elections, I suggest that every ballot paper must have its own unique number so that at results verification all those numbers appear only once as you enter them in the verification system/programme! * ONCE again Mugabe has fooled African heads of state. At the SADC meeting he had them believing that sanctions are the root of Zimbabwe’s problems. There are no sanctions against Zimbabwe. There are only sanctions against [Zimbabwean President Robert] Mugabe and about 250 of his henchmen. African leaders, including President Pohamba, are all too keen to evade confronting the real culprit here. By supporting Mugabe’s obsession with blaming the West for his country’s ruin, they are denying ordinary citizens the benefits that should have flowed from their government. Even President (Jacob) Zuma of SA is reneging on his promises to get tough on Zim, while Mugabe and his cronies must be laughing all the way to their secret bank accounts.- Kamati
ECN* THE exclusion of election information in The Namibian Newspaper is an indication of selective and unfair information dissemination. The newspaper enjoys the support and is read by the majority of this nation. How do we register or know what is happening if we do not have the information? Is registration meant for specific groups of people? The ECN chairperson should tell this nation, especially The Namibian newspaper readers, what they should do next in the absence of election information. Will the November election be free and fair if ECN is selective in disseminating election information?* ECN, half of the Namibian nation read The Namibian daily, because it is available from the north to the south of Namibia. ECN you are punishing us, not the newspaper. Please stop it asap. Thanks.- Taxpayer* ECN is using Government as a scapegoat. In their capacity as a neutral institution, Govt could have exempted them if they asked. Libraries are neutral public institutions, they are exempted. The Namibian and other papers are freely available at these government institutions.n THE Namibian newspaper should also learn to ignore some of the important news from ECN and government at large, e.g. election results of this year.* IF The Namibian’s true intention is to inform the nation on the elections then let the ECN allow them to do so in order for information to reach its readers. However will The Namibian be willing to accept payment at the cost price of the supplement without any profit margin after all their noble intention is to inform us. Failure to do so means it’s all about the money not the people.- We would have happily inserted the election information at no cost had all media been approached to do this. – News Editor* IN the case of the ECN the GRN’s vendetta against The Namibian constitutes an offensive against the taxpaying public as well! Aluta continua, the struggle is not over yet.* GWEN Lister is a proven freedom fighter, unlike [Minister] Kaapanda and his ‘Spy Bill’ or Utoni. Her writings inspired many during the internal struggle because it revealed for the first time the brutality and ferocity of SWATF and Koevoet. Incompetent Swapo politicians must know her record speaks for itself. History will immortalise her as a great educator compared to ECN’s Victor Tonchi and Co, who are denying us voter education. She has done much more for Namibia than most of you! – Patriot* MY prediction is that, if informed Namibians will vote in numbers in November, the Government ban on advertising in The Namibian will be lifted by May 2010. * GOVERNMENT’S instructions to the ECN concerning The Namibian raises an interesting question, how independent is the ECN, and can we expect free and fair elections if the Swapo government is calling the shots? Swapo and the ECN must be reminded that the money government is entrusted with does not come from Swapo’s pockets, it comes from the taxpayers. * MR Ndjarakana implies that the ECN is a puppet of the GRN because of funding. Opposition political parties get some funds too from the GRN, but they are not puppets of GRN. Thanks for his honesty but he is in the wrong job. The ECN does not belong to the GRN neither to Swapo. Banning the people’s newspaper revealed your true colours but it also discredited you.- Ndjaba * MR Victor Tonchi, Chairperson of the ECN, who pulled your strings when you ‘fired’ the then Director of ECN, Cde Phillemon Kanime, during the Omuthiya Election? Can the same strings be stretched so that you can act on those who are implementing the ‘Nujoma Notes’ (the 2002 clandestine ban on The Namibian)? Fellow Namibians, it is time to say: Enough is enough of abuse by the Mugabe-like regime.* GOD save our November elections the Government-dependent and ‘hibernator’, ECN!* WE need an independent Electoral Commission. The actions to sideline The Namibian are tantamount to total disregard for the law. The ECN is not a government ministry. It must know that it was created by an Act of Parliament. It is not subject to the whims of the Government. The Act specifies that it shall be independent.* I REFUSE to switch to another newspaper other than The Namibian. On voting day I prefer to be at home reading my favourite newspaper than to stand in long queues to vote for people who don’t want to listen to us anyway.Bouquets And BrickbatsFounding Father Sam Nujoma* WHY is The Namibian newspaper’s crew so concerned about the Father of the Nation’s health? If the father’s not well so what can they (The Namibian) do? You did not even wish him well in all your reports (August 31 and September 4) if you’re really concerned. We know the father is old, fought for liberation and contributed to socio-economic (progress) of this land to the best of his ability. Common sense will already tell you, he cannot be 100%. In our tradition it’s rather a taboo to keep asking/commenting on somebody’s health when you’re told he’s OK, and not in hospital. No, leave the Founding Father alone – away from your hidden agenda and/r wishes. – Sorry, no agenda here. Because former President Sam Nujoma is the Father of the Nation there is naturally concern and interest about his health. In addition, when rumours are doing the rounds like a wild fire, trying to establish the facts is the right thing to do. – News Editor* THANK you for publishing my text in your paper, I found my documents. Thank you.- Lindiwe Nunes* PLEASE The Namibian, you are not telling it as it is with regard to the CoD: that’s the only party with more than 50 per cent women representation till Schimming-Chase’s recent recall. Respect the facts! – Where? – News Editor* RHINO Private Hospital! Thanks very much for good treatment doctors and nurses keep it up. God bless you.- Antonio PH* I THINK it is disgusting that MTC donates a million to golf! Why not sponsor the Cancer Association or animal charities?* MTC – If our leading mobile communication provider cannot keep up with simple services such as free calls they should not make such promotions. Now all the customers are suffering because the MTC network is jammed after 22h00 and not all of us are on their poorly managed free call promotion. MTC please do something about your network because in cases of emergencies we cannot call due to a stupid busy network! * SHAME on NWR. How did you lease out our employees to PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships) for 100 years without their consent. How do you justify this inhuman act of human trafficking or is Swapo going to defend u again? Just asking because you seem to be untouchable.- Acalina Silas * DOES Gwen meet the requirements of a veteran?- Hoveka, Swakopmund – What are the requirements?! – News EditorPolitics in General* IF we all could read the book ‘Architects of poverty, why African capitalism needs changing’ it will be an eye opener prior to the upcoming election.- Rebekka- Thanks. We’ll try and get hold of a copy. – News Editor* WHY should the West end sanctions against Zimbabwe? SA should stop doing [President Robert] Mugabe’s dirty work! The man is a criminal and should be charged! Why are some African leaders so scared to speak out? Or are birds of a feather flocking together? General* COMMUNICABLE diseases can also be transmitted through unwrapped fruit and vegetables. People touch and leave, they must be washed but definitely without soap. * WHAT happened to The Namibian Letters Page?- There are two letters pages in every Friday edition. – NewsdeskAyatollah Khamenei* DEAR editor please tell me who is the Ayatollah Khamenei? What is his role as a supreme leader? How powerful is he compared to a president?- History teacher, rural school- It’s too long to elaborate on here. I hope you have internet access, or a friend who has internet access, as your can find the information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayatollah_Khamenei – News Editor* I WOULD like to know who is called a professor and who is an associate professor? What are their qualifications. Please help.* TO the person who complained about South African weather shown on Namibian TV, please get real. We don’t live in a vacuum. People are travelling and want to know about the weather in other countries.* OVER the last few months I have had several ‘deaf’ people approach me in various parking lots with requests for money. Many are scamming people. Is there an institution or some such that can authenticate those who are genuine?Running The Show* I hope President (Hifikepunye) Pohamba will think again about the nuclear power agreement, since he declared himself a progressive leader, we hope he is also a caring leader! * DEAR honourable Prime Minister! I’m a GRN employee, single and I have no children. Why am I not allowed to cover my poor mother in my Medical Aid Scheme? Now it’s only married people and their families enjoying the service and this is not fair Tatekulu. I have been raised through thick and thin by my poor parents and at the end of the day I’m not allowed to cover any one of them. I have used the word I but including anybody whose affected. Help me!- VarrySpy Bill* IF we live in a democratic country then the public should be allowed to vote on the Spy Bill.- Oom Ty* THIS has to end now! If anybody thinks that the Government or ECN is going conduct free and fair elections, maybe you should return to La-La Land and sleep on. Take the Spy Bill, or rather, don’t take it. I think the only way to get Section 76 (2) of the Communications Bill scrapped or amended will have to be massive public action in the form of protests and demonstrations. This ridiculous section of the Communications Bill affects all of us and We the public will have to pay the astronomical costs involved so that Government(?) can use and abuse it at their leisure. Who is going to be spied on? When? Why? Once encryption is outlawed, the instances of hacking and cyber crime will increase tenfold, thus justifying Government’s sinister intent. This law should, BY the public and FOR the public, be prevented AT ALL COSTS! The ramifications of such an absurd law are too terrible to contemplate. We need to stand up now, all of us, and say NO! Anyone wants to help organise a massive public protest? – Theo* HI can someone please tell me is the Spy Bill really going to even work? To deny access to your bank or your e-mail, is it illegal? Is that not really silly, also for how will we have communication with the world and all. Please people do the right thing not the wrong thing for it would cost us dearly. – Tony, Swakopmund* GOVERNMENT wake up, why do you want to spy and spend money that could be used for schools and job creation? You are losing touch!* THIS Communications Bill reeks of corruption. Find the money and we find the reason. Who has money riding on it? Who benefits from it? And (ha, ha) who will have to pay for it? That is like outlawing a pickaxe handle because one person might hit someone else with it and now the pickaxe is useless… I refuse to live in a totalitarian police state!!! Something must be done now!Education* EDUCATION Minister make it official whether the schools are closing early before election please before Supplementary Registration so that we could know where we will vote.* WE parents of learners at Oneputa CS are tired of some teachers who failing our kids, especially junior classes, by not attending classes. Please be serious.* IT is a matter of concern really for the teachers of Karas Education Region that we have almost reached the end of year without having Education Officers for Afrikaans, English and Khoekhoe gowab. This is a serious concern really, while we are claiming quality education.Sporting* I WOULD like to know from Rusten Mogane which system is used to appoint Sport Commissioners. Should somebody hail/stay/reside in Windhoek to qualify?- Sport admin from the NorthCity Fathers Please …* CITY of Windhoek fire fighters must prevent the forest fire near Daan Viljoen from going further. It has been burning for three days, we must prevent species from becoming extinct.Over N$60 000!!!!!* SOMEONE owing the Municipality of Windhoek N$60 448? How does this happen? The Municipality of Windhoek should tell us how it functions. My water was cut this week on September 7 apparently the monthly bill for this month was not settled while I had paid my bill on September 3 and my account balance was zero. So furious I went to inquire what was happening and with my receipt at hand, they could only say sorry and sent someone to go and reconnect. Even if I had not paid, is the deadline not the 15th of every month? Now tell me how this citizen was allowed to owe so much that leads to him even losing his house?In And From The Regions* I DON’T understand our GRN always approving tenders to inexperienced contractors like here at Engela bridge. I think this is just wasting our GRN money. How can they start re-building the bridge now while the rainy season is around the corner. This will not help, in the next flood it will be hit again. Think before you approve the tender for those constructions my GRN.