SMSes for Thu 02 Apr 09

* OVER the weekend I saw our Prime Minister Nahas Angula at the Shell Service Station in Okahandja. Unlike other ministers and Government officials who always make use of GRN vehicles and GRN petrol cards, the Prime Minister was travelling in a private vehicle. Also he paid cash for filling up his car. Thank you honourable Prime Minister for being an example.

* OVER the weekend I saw our Prime Minister Nahas Angula at the Shell Service Station in Okahandja. Unlike other ministers and Government officials who always make use of GRN vehicles and GRN petrol cards, the Prime Minister was travelling in a private vehicle. Also he paid cash for filling up his car. Thank you honourable Prime Minister for being an example. Thank you for not wasting our hard-earned tax money. I wish more comrades and colleagues were like you.
* GOVERNMENT says it did not increase State pensions apparently for fear of being accused of buying votes. But it could budget millions for children born in exile. So should pensioners skip voting this year?

Food For Thought
* FISH should have been made tax free, since we have plenty of them in the sea to feed two million people. Yet the Government opted to export as much as possible and sell the leftovers to us at a ridiculous price.
* WHAT a farce! British MPs get a 2,33% pay increase while Namibian politicians get 24%! One would think we were an extremely wealthy nation instead of one with rampant unemployment and poverty. – JR
* CAN the City Police not allow the public to access their database with one ID number or licence number, or any other means, to see whether one has an outstanding warrant of arrest. They can then grant amnesty to people for e.g. three months to go and pay their traffic fines without running the risk of being arrested one day. – Quinton, Leonardville

Running The Show
* HOME Affairs: ID Department, shame on you for failing to order application forms for IDs and as result people could not be assisted after long hours of waiting!! Frontline staff, you are civil servants! Minister please take note. – Sheya
* FOR the Finance Minister’s attention: It’s March 27 (and I’ve already received the 2009 tax form to complete) but my 2008 tax has still not been evaluated. I submitted my form in April 2008. I’m not the only dissatisfied client.
* IF Government wants to spend N$42,3 million for the Founding Father’s office, who will occupy the office when he dies? Please address poverty and keep the unemployed off the street, they are breaking in our houses day and night. We work for a living.
* THE editorial criticism against Traditional Authorities is general and not all are better off. If I had permission I would have shown you the circumstances in which my Chief lives. People don’t like their poverty to be seen. But what I want to say is that one person cannot be a reverend, a political leader and a traditional leader. This is not good for the community and this is evident in the South where the practice is common e.g. Rev/former Deputy PM/Traditional leader Hon Hendrik Witbooi or even Rev/Minister Willem Konjore. I’m mentioning them as I speak their language and there is a phenomenon called ‘People of the South syndrome’ and the criticism about the state of affairs in their regions. These leaders are supposed to check on each other!

Politics
* I DON’T know what others will say but I think the Swapo Government has long lost touch with the people in deeds, not speeches.
* WE employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are deeply confused with our leadership. Why does our Minister Comrade (Marco) Hausiku remain silent when our PS Ambassador Ngiwete is accused of treason by the SPYL? Why does our Minister stay silent when the SPYL continues to attack foreign embassies and our ambassadors? We are the ones who are left feeling powerless and confused. This continuing situation is badly affecting our morale. Please Comrade Minister say something! Show your employees where you stand.
* WHICH political party in Namibia is not tribally based? All political parties have a hand in it – like it or not. Remind our President.

Struggle Years
* COMRADE Asser Ntinda please divulge more on cabals who were behind the unfortunate demise of Comrade Nanyemba, the truth must prevail!

Bouquets And Brickbats
* CONGRATULATIONS to Andimba Toivo ya Toivo for the honour conferred on our hero by the S African government. May you live long Herman!
* I SALUTE and congratulate the Hon ya Toivo for being given the second highest honour, namely the Order of the Grand Companions of OR Tambo Silver. My biggest thanks to the South African Government. Now the question is what is the Namibian Government planning for ya Toivo? Or maybe what he did is not important for Namibian Government as well as the Namibian people? – E Muuleni
* LIKE most Namibians, me included, the government and the people of South Africa recognise the vanguard role Comrade Herman (Andimba) ya Toivo has played and is still playing in the struggle for the right of Namibia and Namibians to self-determination and unity. For me ya Toivo is and must be the genuine Founding Father of our republic! – Phil ya Nangoloh
* A NEW Blood Transfusion Service drive! Great! But how do you find out where the nearest clinic is to donate?
* THANKS One Africa for coming to Outapi. We appreciate it.
* WELL done Gazza for taking Namibia to another level through your latest video with Blacksem and Cleo. It’s a hit in South Africa. You are such an inspiration. Boy! The sky is the limit.
* THANK you Martha Olga of NBC National Radio for including educational and educative topics. School counsellors for Khomas Education Region are doing well. Try in local languages too.

The Long Wait
* NAMIBIAN women can’t marry foreigners? What a joke. You can’t decide on other people’s happiness. We are one, the difference is that we are separated by oceans.
* SEEMS like the apartheid syndrome is still hanging around. The draconian laws against foreigners are a true reflection of discrimination in Namibia. – Shuto

General
* I’M sure the press statement from the Ministry of ICT on journalist’s dress code is an April Fool’s joke. – Sure is 🙂 – Newsdesk
* PIRATE or illegal taxis are on the increase behind Fruit & Veg City and Unam. They don’t have any taxi sign or any name on the door. Some of them have operated for years like that. I want the City Police to look into that. It can be dangerous for passengers. – Concerned Unam student
* WHAT is two years in jail for destroying a family? He [Harry Simon] should pay half of the money.

Responses
* AWARDING a tender of millions to renovate NaTIS to a company with (allegedly) no experience and only a cellphone needs ACC to investigate. – Response from the RA: The Roads Authority awarded two separate tenders to two different companies for the renovations of the testing yard and parking area and alterations to the inside of the cash hall at NaTIS Valley in December 2008. Both companies have experience in the construction industry of between 4 and 12 years. The allegation of ‘no experience’ is therefore not true. The evaluation process was done in accordance with the Roads Authority Tender Procedures and the companies who were awarded the tenders met all the requirements.

Election Fever
* I AM calling on the Electoral Commission of Namibia to come up with regulations which prohibit political parties and individuals from making inflammatory statements, especially ones that cannot be substantiated with solid evidence, like calling other political parties tribal parties. Why allow them to operate? Therefore I call upon the ECN to investigate these comments and to sanction those responsible when these desperate and dangerous allegations are proven to be false. – Kamati
* IT’S amazing how some people have allowed themselves to be bitten by the same snake for about 18 years. For me it really is a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy’. I refuse to be taken for a ride the second time around, I’m changing allegiance as I feel strong winds of change blowing from elsewhere. When are the masses going to realise they are only loved come election time but thereafter left in poor living conditions again? Hats off to those leaders who saw what was wrong in the current regime and opted out because nobody wanted it to be fixed. To my generation: let us not be marionettes, at least we are educated and should know nothing is permanent and is subject to change, especially if people’s living conditions are worse than 19 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I salute those who were at the forefront of our liberation struggle, but that should no longer be used as a ticket to get incompetent people into strategic positions. – Quinton, Leonardville.

Education
* WHY is the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology admitting so many students while accommodation isn’t enough? Students sharing beds and if they fail they are out of the system, no job attachment.
* ENGLISH language in schools. What the Hon Minister said in Parliament is true. ‘How can a teacher who can’t speak English teach learners to speak English?’ I’m a teacher and honestly speaking there are those in schools who cannot speak English. Could any of the MPs visit schools in remote areas to see what is happening. Even some of our MPs are shocking us when it comes to this language.
* ARE we really trying to develop our nation academically or just squeeze money from them? Refer to UCT-Unam advert of March 30 in New Era newspaper (page 14). N$18 000 for a two-week course. What a shame.

In and From the Regions
* I AM so deeply worried by our people urinating in the street anywhere. The Keetmanshoop Municipality should wake up and do something. Is there no by-law against this type of practice? – Concerned resident of the town.
* PEOPLE are not searched when crossing into Angola at Oshikango. Thieves hide laptops in trousers or strap it at their backs cover it with a jacket. – JD Hatutale
* IT’S terrible the way people speed on the road to Walvis! But it’s pointless having a pedestrian crossing at the Narraville turn-off that nobody uses! People cross everywhere but not there! Parents please teach your kids the right way! Set the example! Use the crossing! – Concerned Long Beach resident

* CONSTITUENCY councillors are also given the title ‘honourable’, aren’t they just what they are? The title is losing value and respect.

Service Please
* TELECOM Namibia. I don’t know how this parastatal operates in other regions but here in Katima it’s hellish to get service. Their today or tomorrow or in 15 minutes is weeks if not months. No matter how many times you phone or face them it’s the same. No wonder these parastatals often require bailouts. They ruin their revenue base. Imagine if they had competition, do you think we would suffer like this?
* ZIONIST funeral home at Okahao, please there’s no customer care service here at Okahao. – Selma, Okahao.
* FNB Oshakati main branch manager please respond to your customer’s suggestion as you requested with the suggestion box. We need an ablution facility (toilets) at your branch as we are used to be in the queue for more than two hours waiting for your slow service. Or open another branch with full service at Yetu or Ongwediva. – Ekandjo, Oshakati