SMSes for Mon 02 Feb 09

* NAMIBIANS, you must stop complaining about the 24 per cent (pay) hike for political office bearers. Every year we register our complaints about lots of things, but we are ignored. We have to blame ourselves for crying like babies. When are we going to stand up and say enough is enough? We are cowards and pathetic, we have the power in our own hands, but we don’t use it constitutionally.

* NAMIBIANS, you must stop complaining about the 24 per cent (pay) hike for political office bearers. Every year we register our complaints about lots of things, but we are ignored. We have to blame ourselves for crying like babies. When are we going to stand up and say enough is enough? We are cowards and pathetic, we have the power in our own hands, but we don’t use it constitutionally. Bread-and-butter issues can’t be compromised. Let’s use our democratic rights.
Food For Thought* HOW was it possible that the murderer of the young woman who got shot last month could have intercepted her calls and SMSes? Do we still have privacy or is someone intercepting our calls and SMSes? This case needs thorough investigation. – Concerned Consumer* TENDERS: How come Government tenders end up in the hands of companies that do not pay taxes and companies that do not implement Affirmative Action and to some that do not adhere to the minimum wage, especially in the construction industry? Are the companies not supposed to submit certificates of compliance, tax certificates etc as a requirement? Who is not doing his or her job here? Tender board, please get real!Politics* PENDUKENI Ithana, the Unam students are still waiting for the free bus service which you promised to introduce during the Hakahana by-election campaign or was it only an empty promise.* THE youth of Namibia should start exercising their rights and start voting. No matter what their political affiliation is. If we as the youth of this country don’t stand up for our rights now, this country will become a one-party state. Make your own decisions. Don’t become a member of any political party because of the fact that your parents are or were members of that party. We have more information available, we are getting better education than our parents had. We are the future and upcoming heroes, ministers and presidents. Let’s make this Namibian country and own it with peace and stability.City Debt* WINDHOEK municipal lawyers said it was not worthwhile to follow up debt from clients and that it was not cost effective. Somebody intervene in the Otavi cases, the municipality has submitted poor people’s names to lawyers for warrant of execution against properties. After all some of these accounts were a mere administrative mistake on the part of the municipality. If Swabou Bank Limited can have debt written off then human rights, especially for the poor, is actually to fool the world. They have no access to quality legal representation. GRN-sponsored lawyers work for GRN. A guarantee that the poor should suffer at the end. Can we get feedback from Otavi counsel and/or their lawyers?* I WOULD like to know from the City of Windhoek about the inspections that they used to carry out in the suburbs even before Independence. The yards are now dirty and create an unfriendly atmosphere between neighbours. Please re-implement your strategies.
Zimbabwe* IT is a pity to see Mr (Morgan) Tsvangirai (leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change) once again so unsteady under the pressure from Zanu-PF and the SADC. I am reminded here of one Oshiwambo saying which says that never help a snake in labour pain because once the pain is over it will come back to bite you. President Robert) Mugabe and his supporters, the SADC, are pressurising the leader of the of the MDC party, Mr Tsvangirai, to join the new government so that he could be easily manipulated by Mr Mugabe. Could the international community be so naive?* THE Namibian, please stop publishing pictures of Mugabe. Lately I scan the newspapers before I buy and subsequently refuse to buy or read it if it includes a photo of this person. – Theo – WE respect your decision to buy the newspaper of your choice but must point out President Robert Mugabe is one of the top newsmakers at the moment, albeit for the wrong reasons. – Newsdesk* COSATU made its position on Zimbabwe clear. What is the position of the NUNW?* SADC leaders’ soft stance on Zimbabwe is a crystal clear indication that former liberation movements regard ruling as their entitlement and will not concede defeat by opposition parties.In And From the Regions* THE law to act on animals apparently roaming around unattended in the North is ridiculous and will have serious consequences especially on our Swapo Party. That law does not fit in our villages otherwise it should apply to wild animals too. We cannot afford to look after cattle during the summer. Lawmakers from here know this very well. Please stop destroying the North, first with too many towns and now with harsh laws. If Government says people can live with elephants, why not with our cattle? Those who are complaining are fast drivers which is against the law.* COUNCILLOR of Oshakati East, we need electricity at Oshnyadhila. We are tired of darkness, we are walking long distances to Oshakati Hospital to get our tablets. * TO the Ministry of Health and Social Services, some of us are starving while we are waiting for our November 2008 overtime in Outjo in Kunene Region. Some of our children are still at home due to a lack of funds. Please our dear PS help us, we are being neglected by our regional officers. We have been waiting for two months while the other colleagues in Opuuo and Khorixas got theirs in December 2008.* WHY doesn’t NamWater have technicians at Katima? Every time there’s a problem experts have to travel from other towns.Price Pains* I STILL don’t understand why Namibian shops use cents in their pricing e.g. N$2,99 if one cent coins are no longer legal tender. Ok, they give five cents change in that case, but consider buying 20 items with the 99c strategy, customers end up losing exactly N$9,98. Imagine buying many items priced that way! * WHERE is the management of NWR taking Etosha? I was in Etosha twice last week and the prices at the shop tripled in a week’s time. Is it business or ripping people off? Locals also go to our park so something must be done please.Bouquets And Brickbats* I JUST want to give my appreciation to the Roots Crew selector and Crucially Crucial selector for the very nice reggae programme they do on Tuesday from 20h00 to 22h00. Keep giving us those good vibes and to all reggae lovers this is one show to always tune in to. Labour Issues* I DO not understand why the Government is making teachers who are teaching in rural areas pay for accommodation. We are not in government houses because of our own will but because we cannot buy houses in areas of our job jurisdiction as they are not proclaimed towns and we cannot travel from our houses to schools every day due to long distances and poor bad gravel roads or sand. Furthermore people who are partcipating in home loan schemes are not given housing allowances. At least those who are given housing allowances pay government accommodation with what they are given but those with home loan scheme they pay extra from their own pockets for the government accommodation while at the same time paying for their own houses. Why can’t the Ministry make government accommodation in rural areas free as an incentive for working in rural areas? Another concern is about teachers who are not currently participating in home loan schemes and are given housing allowance, how is it going to work if in future they would want to participate in housing schemes but they have already been getting housing allowances. Is there no discrepancy? Last but not least, teachers in rural areas suffer a lot in terms of everything so there must be incentives for them, otherwise education in rural areas will remain poorer! * I WANT to find out from the Inspector General (of NamPol) whether the criteria for promotions are being adhered to and whether certain members are been promoted within the prescribed years as required. * HITMAN was promoted from W/O to captain. What were the promotion criteria based on? The time that (Paulus) The Hitman (Moses) spent to prepare for his title fight and the time he is parading around with his belt, how was his absence treated? Just curious nothing serious.* MINISTER of Finance, please tell those people working at revenue offices to finish working with our files please. We teachers need our money for income. Imagine from December 2008 and now we are at the end of January 2009.
Taxing Questions* WHY is overtime taxed If I’m sacrificing to earn a few extra bucks after 30 cents of each dollar of my basic salary went to the Government? – Papa-P* WE would like the Ministry of Finance to do something about the tax refunding at the Hosea Kutako International Airport, as cheques are not being printed yet and this is affecting everyone especially the departure terminal shops. * WHY is it that we have tax deducted from our salaries and when our pension fund or savings with an insurance company is paid out, we are deducted tax once more?General* HOW is it possible that the African Methodist Episcopal Church cannot be traced? Hendrik Witbooi is an office bearer of that church. He must know here his church is.* CAN someone please tell me, why do trucks, minivans, buses, etc, have a round sticker with a number usually 80 or 100? Do drivers of these vehicles know how dangerous and difficult it is to overtake a truck doing 130 km/h? Why are there so many trucks overturning? – The numbers on the stickers indicate the maximum speed at which the vehicle should be travelling. – Newsdesk* WAKE up call to the MW&T + ACC. I recently returned from abroad and the Meteorological Service of Namibia is in a real mess! Offices look hectic especially the one at the international airport. Apparently new offices are budgeted for and those need to be built. The bad image on TV during weather presentations could be improved by using forecasters that are familiar with the weather patterns because we don’t understand anything as farmers and other stakeholders.Education* NAMIBIA: why is the system of education not linked? From college to Unam, one starts from year one. From Unam to the Poly and vice versa, the same happens. Was our curriculum not designed to be progressive and not suppressive?* UNAM needs to improve its management. Can the Ministry look at the number of staff and that of applicants? Should we let students suffer at the hands of lecturer-consultants? Many students will have to re-register for theses, which was not of their making, but due to a lack of uniformity etc. Unam should stop the bus for a while and re-look at the manner in which they are doing business.* I WOULD like to respond to the reader who was criticising the Erongo Director and SI Gobs. There are students who did well at that school. One got a 28 and the other a 26. People let’s stop criticising others and start building up each other and tell our children to study hard.Service Please* INSPECTOR General of NamPol, please do something about the current state of affairs is which is frustrating. You pay N$30 to apply for a ‘Police Clearance Certificate’ and more than seven months later it is still not issued. Namibia is advanced in IT. Why not decentralise the service?