Smses for Mon 18 May 09

* I WAS born in Angola during the liberation struggle, and these Namibians who call us names on a daily basis in The Namibian’s SMS section make my heart ache with pain. Please Namibians, don’t sweep us all with the same broom. We never chose to be born there (exile).
 Food For Thought
 * WE need a law to regulate consumer pricing and inspectors who can enforce the law.

* I WAS born in Angola during the liberation struggle, and these Namibians who call us names on a daily basis in The Namibian’s SMS section make my heart ache with pain. Please Namibians, don’t sweep us all with the same broom. We never chose to be born there (exile).
Food For Thought
* WE need a law to regulate consumer pricing and inspectors who can enforce the law. Our GRN has relaxed taxes but prices on goods increase daily. How will we reduce poverty? – Lucas
* TO ensure adequate agricultural mahangu production in Namibia all schools must start in February each year. – Majority Oshakati
Bouquets And Brickbats
* NDEMUNA’S story is common (woman who allegedly turned into a lion), she should not be confined to a mental health institution but a mature understanding community or family members. Since she has already chosen the church community, she must be allowed to continue with her prayers. My hat off to Ndemumana’s friend who took her in. I think I would have come short in the friend’s shoes. – Thank you for your sympathetic response on the issue. – News Editor
* THE lack of quality at the NBC, especially with regard to news, has become atrocious. During our times freshers were not allowed to voice unless you were naturally good. Now every Piet and Paul goes on air, irritating the hell out of the nation.
* A BIG thanks to the Cabinet of the Republic of Namibia for lifting the restriction on Telecom’s switch mobile communications technology.- Negongam Oshakati
* HOW I wish I have the brain of Gwen Lister, this woman is a genius, multi-talented. Every week I buy The Namibian simply to read what she has to say in her Political Perspective column. I would advise our ministers who seem to be unable to reason and debate reasonably to contact her for advice before they go public and humiliate themselves. Better even have her in Cabinet if we want well thought out decisions. – L Jakob
* I THINK Ms Gwen Lister is too young to be told to retire compared to our beloved Founding Father (Uncle Sam Nujoma). Please print this SMS and keep on ‘telling it like it is’ as you always do!
* WE all know that generally speaking, service in Namibia is not that great. So I just have to give props to FNB Ausspannplatz. I have been with three other banks before and none of them come close to FNB’s awesome service. Thanks FNB. Keep up the excellent work. – Carmen Jason
* VOTES of thanks. Odibo Health Centre nurses keep up your fast services and nice attitudes especially these new young girls. And well done for appointing new young nurses. Well done new matron with your management. – Thankful client

Politics
* THE much-vaunted Swapo think tank is conspicuous by its silence. Does it really think?
* WHY were Hidipo Hamutenya and Kaire Mbuende dismissed as Minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2004? – A born free
– Politics. – News Editor
* POLITICAL parties should place Namibians interests before their own. Political autonomy cannot be realised by individuals who pursue their own interests. It’s a voter’s freedom and right to ask for what they want and to vote for the party they choose. A political system is characterised by different and conflicting interests. The different groups that want to take command and fight for their interests. Wake Up Voters 2009.
* ONE does not need to be antagonistic to be an opposition party, rather be realistic and critical of power abuse. Unless you want only the less intelligent followers.
* ONE always thought that if it is in The Namibian, it is newsworthy. But Elias Ngurare’s gibberish? Hallo! – Whether everyone agrees with him or not, Mr Ngurare took the trouble to address an issue which is often neglected. – News Editor
* THANKS to the Ministry of Health and Social Services for organising the national HIV testing day. But you were supposed to make it at least two weeks.
– Adamz Sh

Running The Show
* The PS of Finance says that the ministry is not able to comment on the Ritter case and it is between the board and Ritter! Since when? He on many times expressed himself on such matters even in the media before finalisation of similar cases. Give us a break! Just tell us what is going on.
* IS it incompetence or just disregarding the established public service staff rules and procedures or can we call it corruption? How can a ministry shortlist and interview a candidate who doesn’t meet the advertisement requirements? Why do they specify certain years of experience and never keep to it? Please get us a feedback from the PSC or OPM. Recruiting relatives must stop.

In And From the Regions
* WE in the Erongo Region need to know why all the uranium mines are not allowed to join a union. Why?
* WE as Kavango people, we don’t want conflict with our brothers in Caprivi. Please bring back the boundary to its original point. – Kumaiba, Rundu
General
* ALEXACTUS T Kaure hit the nail right on the head when he wrote that we don’t need an army. We do need an efficient police force and coastguard. I say scrap the army, navy and air force in their present form and put their resources to work in a productive way. What a pleasure it would be to live in a crime free country.
* THE idea of wearing the face masks is to protect oneself from unwashed hands.
* THANKS once again for providing us with a platform where we can air our views. In this regard I’d like to refer to a contribution in Friday, May 8 2009, edition. In the particular contribution, the reader thanks the newspaper for ‘constant reports on murders’. The reader appears to take offence however because of what he terms ‘if killing is so much a sin, killing a killer remains so’. My question to the reader is: What does a law enforcement officer do if a suspected killer or armed robber starts shooting at the very officer? What are the suggested alternatives if any? – Matawa Namaseb
* THIS is to the ACC and WAD. We support your action 100 per cent. Even (Elijah) Ngurare and his fat cats are trying to block the walk.
* DEAR Dr Gariseb, let’s be realistic. Daklan Gowases deserves to adopt the baby girl she found, even if we have to bypass some rules. Let others wait, but make this a ‘special case’ as we are making history. Think twice, please! – WP
* IS Namibia now a Land of the Brave or a Land of the ‘Grand’ protests, demonstrations and strikes? In 1989, we have done with apartheid. Fine. Afterwards, we saw the ex-combatants, national youth service trainees, teachers and nurses, TransNamib workers, mining and fishing and other companies’ employees, shebeen owners, war veterans, the ‘liberation struggle kids’, women and children (against domestic violence), Swapo Party members (against ‘teachers and learners who attend the opposition parties’ rallies’, Zimbabwe trained teachers and the proposed ‘Grand March Against Corruption’ (in which President Hifikepunye Pohamba will reportedly participate. Who is supposed to hear and act on our endless ‘cry in the wilderness’? Our lawmakers have turned the Parliament into a rest camp/leeping dormitory while many of the trade unionists have turned the workers organisations into political parties’ organs/wings?
* JUST a hint to The Namibian: Our language is Otjiherero, the tribe is Ovaherero, not for example Herero speakers or Herero farmers.- Parii – Thank you. – News Editor
* LET my Government consider implementing the BIG to help reach the MDGs relating to the reduction of poverty, child mortality, HIV-AIDS and others.
* FOR Namibia to regain moral values: Ban all forms of pornography whether on DVDs, CD ROMs, books, etc! On computers (Internet café’s, businesses, homes, etc.) block access to such websites!
Education
* GOVERNMENT schools are now turning into family businesses because principals only recruit those they know or sometimes they undermine new teachers, stigmatise others or discriminate on bases of qualification. A qualified teacher remains a temporary or relief teacher for two years or even more. When is corruption going to end in this country? I think the ACC needs to investigate schools as well. Some teachers even teach subjects they are not specialised in. How are the learners going pass if the teacher is not comfortable with the subject content at all? The deployment of teachers is the best way to effective results.
* TEACHERS are the first people to be blamed? Why? If some parents are employing they own children aged between 10 to 14 to sell airtime (recharge vouchers) after school. After school, children are supposed to do their homework or study but they are roaming around doing business. Especially those living in towns or urban areas. Please police officers arrest those children’s or the parents who using or employing these young learners. They are under age!
Money Matters
* YES I do agree with the SMS on Friday about the insurance policies especially (name supplied) Life. They call it a risk product. Even if you pay more than three years and you miss one or two premiums your policy will lapse without any refund. Please our Government, our lawmakers look at this matter. We lose a lot.

Responses On Farming, SMS Of The Day
* FOR mushroom farming contact Min of Agriculture or Unam Ogongo campus.
* RCC only do work when instructed by the RA (Road Authority) regarding all road maintenance work.
Service Please
* HOCHLAND Super Spar! Please do something about your public toilets! The shoppers have to pay N$2 for toilets that are in a bad state, broken toilet seats, broken doors without handles. How can you expect one to relax in a toilet with an open door? It is not acceptable in an upmarket area. Service please!