SMS Of Thursday 10 September 2009

* A VISIT to Oshikango raised the following: It is the busiest place in Namibia, the dirtiest place in Namibia, one of the dustiest places in Namibia, a place where millions are made in a single day in Namibia, and probably the only place in Namibia where method of payment can be forex. Now, the following questions go to Helao Nafidi Town Council, Receiver of Revenue and Ministry of Trade and Industry: Is all alright at Oshikango? How does the Receiver of Revenue collect the dues? Why are foreign shop owners paid with both Nam and US dollars? How and where are US dollars banked? Does Oshikango have town planners? If yes, for what are they being paid? There is a smelly rat or fish at Oshikango! Millions are being made there, but the revenues are not put to good use to develop the place. Government, through mentioned departments, must do its job. Foreign shop owners are getting away with too much at Oshikango. People’s mahangu fields are sold to these foreigners. Develop the place please. The place is upside down. Resources are there, no excuse!
– Concerned citizen

Food For Thought* MY fellow citizens of the Republic of Namibia, I submit to you: Are front-line staff at the Ministry of Home Affairs to block the way of law-abiding and taxpaying citizens by refusing to process legitimate requests and acting as gatekeepers to the rest of the Ministry? Is it the work of a public servant to argue with citizens at the front counters? Or is it the work of public servants to assist citizens to process valid documents? Are these not the very documents required by our blessed government to lead a productive life in our own country? Why then do front-line staff arbitrarily shout NO! into our, the taxpayers, pleading faces? When front-line clerks refuse to listen to credible and justifiable reasons, who should a citizen appeal to for help? Don’t Deny The People* THE Namibian is a registered, legal paper in Namibia. The ECN is an organ of Government of the citizens of Namibia, not Swapo. What right does the ECN have to exclude The Namibian [from voter education]? Does the ECN think they will convince us that they are impartial? How can Namibians trust their impartiality with our vote count? Think, fellow Namibians, when you vote!* THE ECN and GRN should realise that, despite the ban on The Namibian, it is still widely read. By withholding information of whatever type from the newspaper, they are harming the newspaper’s readers more than the newspaper itself. Considering that many of the readers are surely Swapo supporters, they might even be shooting themselves in the foot. * EVERYONE knows that most Namibians, even most GRN employees, prefer The Namibian newspaper by far. Shame on ECN for denying us, the Namibians, information. – CMH* WHO is fooling whom here? The Namibian newspaper was known as a Swapo newspaper during the 1980s. Now it is called the ‘puppet’ newspaper because it is telling the truth. Those days at Katima, you could only buy it secretly at Mr Sibalatani’s house, otherwise you were arrested. Today it is still the most-read daily English paper throughout the country. By banning it you deny the majority crucial information. Is ECN not independent? We deserve the right to information. * THE Namibian sidelined by ECN? What a joke of the day! Who is going to suffer because of their move? Thumbs up for The Namibian for keeping telling it as it is! Spy Bill* THE Spy Bill. After Independence the poor Swapo Party did not have another policy for Namibia in place so it gradually started to implement the old apartheid laws. Shame on you. * THIS ridiculous Spy law must never be allowed. We must stop it from ever happening. I will go to great lengths to prevent it but no one can do it alone. * YES I agree the Spy Bill should be scrapped. It has never made sense to the common man. It never will. Tele-mobile communication companies should not be dumb enough to foot the Bill’s costs involved. As for my tax contributions, refund me if the GRN does not have better use for it as we have more burning eco-socio problems such as unemployment, land, housing, education and health. Let’s not allow abuse passed into law because of hidden agendas of a few. It’s election year. Think of tomorrow and carefully about who you vote for.* I DO not understand why our Government is spending so much money on spying on telephone calls while there are real standing problems that need to be addressed, such as: payment of war veterans, kids of liberation struggle and poverty among the youth. The Government leaders do not have nation at heart and they are selfish. The Spy Bill will violate Article 13 of the Namibian constitution and it has a hidden agenda.- SSN Politics* IF Swapo wants a landslide victory come election 2009 they must revise the party list. Many people are tired of voting for the same people who are not representative of all the corners of the country. Now whose interests are these people going to promote? Why can’t Swapo take at least three regional representatives to try and strike the balance? Even the president’s list does not yield results of a national party! Many feel neglected and thus many become frustrated and voter apathy comes into play. Why not play clear cards and ensure a winning Swapo come whatever elections? The zebra approach was also sidelined. We should remember that women are in the majority in numbers and if they decide to unite and do their on thing, we will not win any election here. Why not practice what we preach?- Ksisiwe * I WANT to find out what happened to comrade Jacob Kuhangwa, was he not one of the three founders of OPO now Swapo, together with the Founding Father? This man, from my research, was disabled and later died. Yes the Swapo Government did indeed pay their last respects to his family. But what happened after that? Heroes are remembered even after they die, but was he ever recognised, given a medal or had a street named after him?* WHY are students allowed to wear political party T-shirts at WCE? General* TO the two SMSes referring to hair styles: is it not a personal choice to do what you want with your body parts anymore, so long as it is not offensive to the public? Wearing trousers, shorts and the like is not really African either, or is it? Please be more informed about the case of a Sudanese journalist woman. Let’s discuss issues that really matter. * IS the Government going to build an office for every president that retires? In And From The Regions* OUR town planner and mayor of Keetmanshoop are failing us. Nineteen years after Independence and only two main roads have been tarred – one leading to Krönlein and the other to Tseiblaagte location. Why can’t they also tar the main road leading towards the Soweto location?* I THINK it high time that the Government and other stakeholders take action now when it comes to floods in the northern and northeastern part of the country. They always wait for the flood to come and then they appoint an emergency management committee under the chairmanship of the PS of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and fly in engineers from overseas, but after the flood these people go back. I think this is the time they have to take steps like putting up dams in oshanas to hold water which can even be used after the rainy seasons and divert water from entering the residential areas in towns, locations and or villages.- Joe Onheleiwa Service Please * I LIVE in Suiderhof’s Andimba Toivo Street. Since there is no taxi rank, we pay N$15 for a three-minute drive from Maerua Mall. Is it not time that Nabta puts taxi ranks everywhere? Poor people live all over the place. Is it also not time that the Municipality thought of having bus services for learners, students and anybody who wants to use them? Buses should not be for house labourers only. Strategies must be put in place so that transport services can be provided to all, each route with its buses and timetable. Considering students at Unam and Poly, bus services should run up to 22h00. The Municipality will make money, proper service would be provided to all in need. The Municipality must see how cities provide transport services to people. Start planning for all please.ACC Alert* THE ACC should investigate the appointment of the Director of Administration at Oshikoto Regional Council. * ACC, please come and investigate at NIMT. We students want to know where the rest of our GRN loan money went. We are even paying for transport and still standing in the buses.* I WANT the ACC to know the person on the switchboard in Gobabis at the regional office of the MoHSS can’t speak English.Education* A GET-TOGETHER is planned for scholars from 1991 to 1995 at Outjo High. Former scholars can call or SMS on 081-236-1000.- Koos Lost And Found* I LOST my ID, Unam student card and my BOB card in the name of Lukas Anna N. I forget them in a white Corolla. Please you can contact me at 081-201-7953.* PLEASE help. I left my memory stick in a red taxi . If you’ve found it contact 081-342-4268.* ANYONE who lost a number plate with MEISIE – NA. contact me on 081-227-8525. * ANYONE who might seen my ID card, debit card, medical card in the name of Nicklaas Ngaujake. Please contact on 081-269-0407 or 081-314-4810.