SMSes for Fri 23 Jan 09

* WE have a crisis in our education system. As a society we need to put our minds together on how we can decrease the failure rate. If we don’t take the initiative today, we will end up with a generation who have no skills and a high unemployment rate.

* WE have a crisis in our education system. As a society we need to put our minds together on how we can decrease the failure rate. If we don’t take the initiative today, we will end up with a generation who have no skills and a high unemployment rate. Let’s think of empowering our youth through early phycometric assessments, opening more vocational schools and come up with a national skills development plan. We have to take our children’s future very seriously.- You make a number of good points. I would also like to refer you to two articles on education in today’s ‘Back of the Book’ section (on pages B3 and B5). I’m sure you will find them stimulating. – News Editor
Food For Thought* SOMETHING for Namibian road users: I am of the opinion that speed does not kill, but bad attitude and stupidity do kill!! Why overtake when you cannot see at least 150 m ahead? Why not slow down when there is car in front? Why don’t you ask yourself what if the other driver makes a mistake? Why drive your car at night if your lights are faulty? Why drive at 20, 40, 60 km/h on a highway – you create impatience! Why drive at speeds you cannot control? Why chase someone you don’t even know? Why drive if you are tired? Etc, etc. Very tired of the attitudes and foolish drivers who take innocent people’s lives. – Sheyo* WHY are people in the Public Service put on suspension with full remuneration for years and years. This wastes taxpayers’ money especially if they would be found guilty and dismissed as the Government won’t be able to recover this money. Suspend them without pay and if found not guilty, pay them back from the date of suspension. I am not convinced that any investigation would take years to be finalised. Civil servants should show that they deserve a 24% increase. Not Feeling Obama* COUNTRYMEN, let’s avoid being ignorant. We cannot compare any of our political leaders, (or even ourselves with American people) with American leaders. We are two different people with totally different cultures of doing things. For example, democracy in the US is different from the Namibian democracy in so many ways simply because we are different. Comparing President Obama with any of our politicians and wanting them to do what he does indicates lack of understanding in many social factors including culture (beliefs, values, norms), economics, politics, religion, education, etc. Obama was born, brought up and educated in a prestigious American society, speaking English since birth. I’m sure he can’t speak any Oshiwambo, Setswana, Khoekhoegowab or any Namibian language, while our leaders are fluent in these languages, and thank God, with their limited distance education, they can understand him. So let’s stop being fanatic and judgemental on things we don’t understand and criticise for the sake of criticising. It’s very unfair! Let’s start providing positive criticism and classical proposals to our leaders. Taxing Questions* MR Taxman! Why are you all over my transactions? Your VAT on my bread, your 35% on my salary, you want also a hand on my savings account. Please set me free!* I’M a civil servant who loves my job very much. But one thing bothers me. How can GRN employees owe tax money if the tax has been deducted every month since you were appointed. And I have to pay back N$7 000. How does it work?Salary Debate* WHAT guarantee does the current government have that they will be in power next year? We want our 24% increase at once this year please.* The 24 to 28% increment for civil servants is a snap decision by politicians. Isn’t it an election ploy? What cognitive short-sightnedness! Period. – Junior* NAPWU should next time bargain in dollar terms instead of percentage across the board, if we are to minimise the gap between the rich and the poor. We should not forget that the poor contribute a lot by doing the donkey work.* GIVING a 24% increment to the politicians brought luck to the civil servants for there was no choice but to extend the same to the civil servants with a few more per cent to the lowly paid. It is about time that new faces are brought in as ministers and deputies for a change as new beneficiaries of these luxury perks. The Ministers-for-Life principle should not be entertained. Politics* NAMIBIANS, lets vote for change like the US. Enough is enough* I WOULD like to inform the political parties the criteria to be implemented, mostly with the candidates of the regional councils, should be Grade 12. Politics in General* ISRAEL has got a right to defend itself. A suicide bomber is not some one you want around. Hamas is a radical movement. It has no respect for human rights. I do not support it.Zimbabwe* BOTSWANA should be warned that as a landlocked country it should never call for sanctions against Zimbabwe. Namibia and South Africa can do the same to it. After all why didn’t they close their borders against the then Apartheid regime in SA and Ian Smith’s UDI ruled Rhodesia?Children Of The Struggle* THE so-called war veterans’ kids. Some of these kids had opportunities to go to school here in Namibia, some were in Germany. What happened? They did not study, all they did was play. So I cannot find a reason why they are crying for the government to intervene. I was born in the country and some of those kids were my classmates, but their behaviour was the main cause of where they are now. In And From The Regions* MINISTRY of Works, Swakopmund management and staff why are the boilers at three school hostels in Swakopmund not yet repaired? Are the rumours true that the order was given but no repairs have been done? Please reply.* TSUMEB Town Council can you please train (help) Grootfontein Council with development in town before it is declared a village Council, maybe they will understand you and co-operate with you. Thanks.Bouquets And Brickbats* THE latest ranking of African universities sees the Polytechnic climbing to 16th position and Unam drops to 26th. To Poly, well done, to Unam, please explain to the nation why are you now behind?* SHAME to the Director of Erongo and the principal of SI Gobs, none of the learners got 26 points. Grade 12 must be removed from that school. They are failing our children.* I WOULD like to convey my heartfelt appreciation to the City Police on behalf of the inhabitants of St Helena Street in Rocky Crest. The fact that you have turned up at my house after my appeal for patrolling our area was published in The Namibian, and give my wife your assurance to patrol our area, is most appreciated. If you would like to meet with us, the St Helena neighbourhood, you can contact me on 081-128-0064. General* MOST countries in SADC have decriminalised and legalised prostitution to attract tourists and prostitutes in their countries for World Cup 2010 in SA. What is Namibia’s position on that subject? – Potential Tourist for 2010* GOVERNMENT would rather provide tenders to Chinese construction companies leaving our own Namibian companies to suffer. In China a Namibian company would never ever receive a tender for construction. This won’t happen – giving preference to some Namibian company – in China? I mean where is Namibia? I lived in China for three years. I know what I’m talking about. Namibia please wake up and stop giving excuses of Chinese companies’ bids always being lower.* MANY great things have happened since the beginning of the year 2009, the US got a new president, civil servants’ salaries increased, oil prices reduced. Can one thing not be changed – the fees at our tertiary education institutions. They are too high. Please rescue us Minister of Education (Nangolo Mbumba) – RicardoHealth Matters* KATUTURA Hospital must get more doctors at the gynaecology department. The doctors arrive after 11h00, 13h00 they go out and come back 14h30 or later. But at 16h00 they leave the patients in the queue telling us we m
ust come back the next day. Some patients are from very far and there is not always transport money to come every day to the hospital. Please Hon (Richard) Kamwi do something. – Concerned Gynae Patients* I AM a GRN employee in Otjituo District of Okakarara. This area is full of wild snakes but not a single clinic has anti-venom doses. Why? Director reply.Labour Issues* IT was good that our lawmakers outlawed labour hire. But now they must look at the social security law. With the many people who will soon be jobless it would have been a relief if the social security would have had an unemployment fund to help them until they find the next job. Because all of them contributed to that fund and most of them have never claimed from it since it started. And now when they need it the most, it is of no use to them. – Liz, Rosh Pinah* I AM a member of a security company and did not get paid for January. When I went to the office collect my money, they told me that if I don’t want work I can sit at my parents’ home. Under which Labour Act is this company operating?* PLEASE Ministry of Labour review some salary structures at some private companies as they are only there for money making and do not adhere to the Labour Act.Education* WHY are bursaries advertised to students who are willing to further their studies at Unam and they have to study engineering, maths and science? All of them need not be Unam students only. Most Grade 12’s who have completed school are staying home due to financial problems. We have a need of many professionals. All people must access to scholarships. – Zero, Outapi Service Please* NAMPOST, there are plenty of tellers, but the queues are too long, because its only two tellers operating, please improve your service.* I AM very disappointed with FNB Cellphone banking. I’ve tried purchasing credit the whole day but to no avail and my failed requests are still being charged.* ALLOW me to express my concern about Pick ‘n Pay, Oshikango. They aren’t cooking nice food any more. It has no taste and is watery. The manager must keep an eye on this. Please do something.* ENOUGH is enough. FNB you have disappointed us enough with your Wanaheda ATM at Friendly Store! A week doesn’t pass without the statement ‘out of order’! Please improve your so-called service. If you can’t maintain it remove it! – Grace, Windhoek ACC Alert* ACC: We appreciate the job well done at Uis Town Council. I want to bring another issue to your attention. Employees of the council have bought plots in the location and when they clean these places during the weekend, they were paid for it.* PLEASE Mr (Paulus) Noa investigate what is going on at the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology. We hear that all GRN workers get transport allowances, but why must some people be picked up every day and taken back in the afternoon while other people have to suffer with the little N$200 they get for transport! – Concerned Citizen