SMSes for Friday 24 September 2010

* TALKING of efficient service delivery in the public service. It is exactly 12h30 on Wednesday at United House OPM. I have not visited the toilet yet as there is no running water. Things are falling apart in this building. Lifts are out of order. The whole building smells of faeces. Since I work on the 8th floor, I have to walk all the way up and down. This building reached its lifespan. It is a time bomb in the CBD. Management is non-existent at this office.
– Gatvol Public Servant-OPM, Windhoek

Food for Thought* IN reference to the single mothers who can’t afford to send their kids to school, where are the fathers? Why have kids if there will be only one parent? This situation is irresponsible and Namibia will suffer because of it.Bouquets and Brickbats* I APPLAUD Poly staff for realising now that the time has come to raise their voices after 11 years of being silenced. A commission of enquiry is needed to investigate why staff have left the Poly since 1998. Some were fired for telling the truth. Please call all staff who were fired and who voluntarily left the Poly to tell the truth about management. Time has come for Namibia to hear what is happening behind the Poly gates. – Former dismissed staff
* NAMIBIA is rated one of the lowest in the world when it comes to providing financing to SMEs. Shame on the Government, Development Bank of Namibia and First National Bank for your lip service and no action.* CHRIS Smith (‘Chasing the Dots’) seems to think there have been no end of conferences to discuss anti-corruption efforts (he ‘reluctantly’ attends these ‘junkets’ apparently – poor him). In fact, there have hardly been any in recent years and certainly none organised by civil society. Yes, some key players were missing at last week’s conference, but bravo to the IPPR for at least trying to focus minds on what can be done in practical terms to reduce corruption. Far more useful than the embittered prattle that spews from Mr Smith every week!* BLOOD Transfusion office in Tal Street please tell your security company driver to stop hooting in the early morning when they change shifts. We in the flats next door are tired of being woken up at 05h00 by this driver.Politics* WHAT is wrong with our Government? They want to control everything. First the media with the Spy Bill, now the construction industry and the job market. Are we a democracy or a socialist or communist state?And Justice for All* WINDHOEK City Police now that we know how effective you are at going after soft targets; please let us when you have success with real criminals. * SUCCESSFUL policing means having the public assisting, providing credible information. How can we do that when you alienate us by going after poor people trying to make an honest living.* SO much has been said about this Jan Markus saga. Why hasn’t anybody offered him a job yet? – Note: Jan Markus has been offered at least one job that we know of. In addition to the two people who paid his fine, numerous other members of the public phoned in or e-mailed also offering to do the same.- News Desk* I READ the story about Jan Markus, the poor, unemployed and homeless father of a six-month-old baby boy who was sent to jail for contravening some municipal by-laws. The fact that his wife could not access the bail money she used to buy his freedom, while probably going hungry, because of not having an ID makes this a gross miscarriage of justice! Our justice system is flexing its muscles at the poor, the unemployed and the homeless while the criminals roam the four corners of this country! Whereto Namibia; my beloved country? – Erich* CAN someone please tell me how a magistrate’s office can accept money for bail from an identity-less person? Yet when that same person comes back to reclaim the bail money they can’t give it back because she or he doesn’t have an identity document. Them knowing very well that this money can be claimed back by the bailer. Like in the absurd case of Jan Markus the car washer.* PUNISHED for working. The City Police should hang their heads in shame. I was willing to pay the man’s fine, but someone beat me to it. Shows that it is not only one of us that feels this way. May you never go hungry Mr (Johan) Kellerman. Distinguish between law and simple human morals. * THE City of Windhoek must also charge the owners of cars being washed at non-designated areas.* DEFENCE lawyers tell me; justice or money? Integrity should come first please!
General* ALFREDO Tjiurimo Hengari; we need your contact mobile device in Omusati Region. Please call or sms 081-424-9983.- KNS Sporting* ENOUGH is enough. NFA President Mr (John) Muinjo please fire the national football coach Tom Saintfiet. He has no integrity and no pride, applying for other jobs while he is still contracted with the NFA. By and large he underperformed and it is not possible that he will qualify the Brave Warriors for Afcon 2012. After being beaten by lowly Gambia and India we cannot expect any further success. Let him go right away. – Zola 7* THE football followers of Otjozondjupa Region would like to invite both the camps of Mr (Ranga) Hakali and Mr (John) Muinjo to attend the AGM and tell us why we must vote for one of them. We don’t want empty promises or back door campaigning. Remember it was our region that had a deciding vote in the previous election. This didn’t go down well as it was controversial. This time we want to elect the right candidate chosen by the teams and committee members by majority count. The AGM is at Grootfontein this coming Saturday at 12h00. Our votes count!* WHERE can I buy a Tigers’ soccer T-shirt.- Erwin* WITH the continuing sponsorship of soccer now reaching silly proportions and the dismal failure of the national team, is it not time to start supporting real achievers like the national rugby team? Or do the sponsors like being associated with perennial failure. MTC & The Namibian, you both need to start displaying unbiased support for both sporting codes.- As we have noted previously, The Namibian supports soccer development in the regions.- News Desk* BRAVO to the coach of Wanderers. He admits that the ref of the game was poor. Look to a weekly news paper. I take my hat off to a guy like him. City Fathers, Please* THE Windhoek City Council should consider declaring certain areas/streets as open-air business markets for car washers, etc. We need innovative ideas to combat unemployment!* SO it’s nearly end of the month and again salaries go to some (alleged) drug dealers in Diamond Street. Help us! Isn’t there (a) narcotics (branch) any more? City Police why don’t you do check-ups at the end of the month please.* DIRECT question to the City of Windhoek and Ms Liz Sibindi: Why are you allowing shebeens to even start operating and thereafter mushrooming in all newly established suburbs like 7de Laan en 8ste Laan. None of those shebeens carry the approval of neighbours. InvestigateEducation* TEACHERS of kindergartens in the North are not teaching the children who are going to Grade one next year anything. I am referring to an area in Oshikoto Region.- Concerned parent.* I AM not happy with this new syllabus. A lot of children will surely fail because of failing maths. Then the regions will be blamed.Service Please* STANDARD BANK Rundu is too slow. Just to deposit money takes two hours. Please improve your services if you want to retain your clients.- Pieter* FNB Main Branch, in this era of high technology why should I wait for two hours to fetch my cheque book? Incompetency perhaps? You charge us high service and interest fees so you have no reason to be underemployed.* PLEASE we need a Bank Windhoek ATM at Omuthiya, Ondangwa is too far.- Kristofin, Omalondo.* HOW do pharmacies do their pricing? How does something that costs N$ 48 at Clicks cost N$ 72 in a pharmacy?NBC* I’M challenging all NBC-TV moderators of the ‘One on One’ programme, which is screened on Wednesdays, to put the same pressure on all their interviewees, including Swapo members, just as Kazembire was doing on Phil ya Nangoloh. I’ve noticed a degree of bias in their approach and that’s unacceptable.- M* CAN NBC re-broadcast the Wednesday’s ‘One on One’ programme with Mr Phil ya Nangoloh? I missed it.- The Eagle’s Eye* I WAS very embarrassed by a sign language interpreter reading news and chewing bubblegum. NBC, please tell then it’s not professional. Namibians let’s wake up.Health Matters* NEWSDesk please find out why the meningitis vaccine is only given in Katutura? People from Katutura go to work and school all over Windhoek thus all are at risk of getting the virus.* CAN someone please tell us where we can get this meningitis immunisation? We stay in Khomasdal and there is only one health facility. Maybe they do it at other points too.
In and From the Regions* DRIVING licences. Please NaTIS open new offices in every town to avoid long distances and queues.Lost and Found* I LOST my ID a few days ago. It’s in the name of Dorothea Hikolwasha Edward. Please call 081-622-5631.* I NATHAN Shipoke lost my wallet in Ongwediva. If found please call me at 081-211-3559. * I ASSER Shigwedha lost my identity document in the area of Walvis Bay. If found please phone 081-614-9648.* ELIFAS Tobias born 09 July 1984 and Secilia Ndinelago Iileka, born 31 May 1989, I found your ID cards, please call 081-602-0786 or 081-124-9142. * KASHILE Rutha Ndapewoshali born in Okalondo. Please call 081-227-7752. Your ID has been found.* I JULIA Ruth Muliokela lost my driving licence. If found, please contact: 081-406-9392. And the Winner Is* WHEN will Tafel Lager announce the winners? We cannot wait to see.Please Help* HOW can you sign a two-year contract and pay for four years? Teachers are being taken for a ride by IOL with non stop deductions. We pay with salary stop orders and after the contract, they claim we still owe thousands. Assignments are forever getting lost. Our complaints never get solutions. Student support fees are deducted while you are no longer a student. Can someone please give answers. We are fed up!Labour Issues* GOVERNMENT is regulating all vacancies now? Government has gone mad! A copy of George Orwell’s book ‘1984’ must be given to every person so that our people can begin to understand how fast we are becoming a communist country where Government controls every aspect of private society. * IT is amazing that despite Napwu having leaders eating our money at GIPF it is still the preferred trade union for Poly workers.- El Vaquerito* I’M shocked to hear that a registered nurse gets paid less than 50 dollars per hour! This is happening at a private hospital at Walvis Bay. Pure exploitation indeed!* THE current job restructuring in the public service is a great demotivation to excluded job categories. How can a Grade 12 certificate earn you a higher salary than a four-year degree in an entry level post? Unions and Government get back to the drawing board if you want to play a fair game.Response to recent SMSes* THE majority of Namibians vote the party of their tribe, others for the party of their parents, others for the party which threatens them.* DEAR DKT, your SMS about Swapo conferences countrywide to elect candidates for the coming elections refers. I think you lack some information. All other political parties are also doing the same and even more transparently than the party you referred to. The reason you don’t know is because NBC doesn’t show their meetings even though they are also pay tax and their TV licenses. – Natangwe* IT is a common practice that everyone has to take off their shoes to be scanned at airport security checkpoints overseas. Whites also get detained and hammered with questions as we travel on Namibian passports; which are not commonly known to immigrations officials abroad. Our luggage also gets searched and scanned. It is time that VIPS, for a change, can also feel what ordinary black and white citizens of Namibia endure when travelling far.* IN response to the SMS Tuesday, September 8, regarding a possible problem in Talismanus, please can the sender of the SMS get in touch with Rachel Coomer at the Legal Assistance Centre (061 22 33 56), as we cannot investigate the matter without further details. You can give us your details and we can call you back. All communication with us shall be strictly confidential.* REPLY about the the Angolan taxis. Namibian taxis charge extra fees to the Angolans. The fact that we are not in our country we suffer a lot so there is nothing wrong with helping each other. We Angolans don’t live freely anymore. And note that not all Angolans are supposedly rich. Why don’t people complain about neighbours who transport each other in family cars and are charged?