SMSes for Tue 07 Apr 09

* CAN someone please explain to me how income tax / PAYE works. Can the Minister of Finance get a presenter on radio or TV to explain these things to the public? – Opgesukkel
 
 Food For Thought
 * IN view of the increasing crime rate nationwide – can repeat offenders be denied bail.

* CAN someone please explain to me how income tax / PAYE works. Can the Minister of Finance get a presenter on radio or TV to explain these things to the public? – Opgesukkel

Food For Thought
* IN view of the increasing crime rate nationwide – can repeat offenders be denied bail. It is evident from the recent armed robbery at the gambling house that the robbers were previously involved in similar crimes. If Government could only pass stiffer laws for robbers like they did for cattle theft, surely there will be a change. – Anna
* IF ‘freedom of speech and expression is allowed in Namibia’ according to Utoni Nujoma, then open the call-in programmes, scrap all discussions on a media regulatory body and leave the SMS page alone!
* WHAT is the historical background of the concept ‘traditional leaders’? This concept was used by the British under their colonial policy of indirect rule to exclude the people’s leaders from politics. Or were there also traditional leaders and political leaders in pre-colonial Africa? Is Queen Elizabeth II a traditional leader? If the answer is yes it sounds like a demotion. Now, why do we demote our leaders in Africa?

Bloody Shootout
* WHILST sincerely regretting the loss of human life that could have otherwise made a difference had the robbers opted to live a life that matters, I sincerely wish to congratulate NamPol for sending a loud and clear message to criminals not only that crime does not pay, but also that our nation is no longer prepared to allow organised crime to hold our beloved Motherland and its people hostage. Evil will never succeed if Namibians of goodwill are prepared to speak out and are seen as taking action for the land we so dearly love! – Brian
* CONGRATULATIONS to our Police for teaching the robbers a lesson. You did us proud. This should serve as a lesson to their friends. It is traumatising to get into a taxi these days because they’re the centre of most criminal activities.
* WELL done Police, pity you could not make it 6 out of 6.
* WELL done to City Police. Crime like this we do not need.
* GREAT job City Police. The Government keeps releasing criminals, placing all of our lives in danger!
* CONGRATULATIONS City Police. Shoot them, kill them because in the courts they get bail. I suggest GRN must pass a law to forfeit to the State any taxi used in criminal activities.
* WELL done to the Police for responding quickly to the armed gang robbery at the Pool Bar in Windhoek’s Ausspannplatz. – Porry
* WELL done City Police, now for the justice system to give them the final knockout.
* BRAVO NamPol and City Police for reminding all criminals that you are in charge. A job well done! It’s only a pity that as Namibians we don’t appreciate your selfless, brave actions by these sons and daughters. Increase their salaries, not only 12%, but more for them to come out from the shacks they are living in, and get decent accommodation and transport for them. Namibia please appreciate the police, prison officers, army and nurses.
* The Erongo Regional Police Commissioner, Festus Shilongo, was quoted on NBC TV news as saying, ‘the men and women in uniform, in Erongo Region are under the instruction not to shoot a warning shot … not to ask any questions’` when dealing with suspected criminals. This is senselessly notorious and Commissioner must be called to order by the Inspector General of the Namibian Police. The Namibian Constitution stipulates that, ‘the right to life shall be respected and protected’, and, ‘a person shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law’. Windhoek’s bloody shootout cannot be used as a killing ticket. Let us not turn this country into a trigger-happy, Police state. – Steven Mvula
* THE Open Line presenter, a self-proclaimed Christian, commends the City Police for murder? Who was told to shoot to kill? Which sin is greater? What if that was his child? What if he lost his job? Would that make him less human?

Time To Talk
* IT’S about time for us Namibians to exercise our rights by calling a referendum on the time change. Because, firstly, it was imposed upon us. Secondly, considering the global economic crisis, we can’t continue losing millions in business with RSA just because of this.
* WHAT economic benefits do we get from time change? Please tell me!
* IF Government refuses to reconsider this abomination called ‘winter time’, maybe the rest of us should just start boycotting it and continue as usual. I haven’t heard of anybody who doesn’t hate it. Maybe NamPower likes it because they can sell more electricity.

AAC Alert
* TRANSNAMIB had a five-year contract with the Tsumeb smelter to transport raw and processed copper to and from Walvis Bay. After three months the contract was suddenly stopped. At the same time an official, connected with transport, resigns and joins the company now transporting the copper minerals. TransNamib (allegedly) often loses contracts and vehicles in this manner. And then they tell workers there is no income, thus no salary adjustments.

Bouquets And Brickbats
* I NOMINATE Guido van Langenhove for a medal for the incredible effort he has made in dealing with the floods. Was it not for his selfless dedication, working night and day, many more lives would have been lost. We need more people like him!
* THERE are good Samaritans in the world. I thank the stranger who took the trouble to pick up my brand new prescription glasses off the tarmac at Eros Shopping Centre and for handing them in to the pharmacy. God bless you! – Gerry Hill
* THANK you The Namibian newspaper for you quick response to tell us about everything happening in this country. May God bless you.
* CATEREX. Shame on you for parking in the space for the handicapped at Hidas.
* CAN someone please tell Radio Wave that Namibia is not part of South Africa anymore (thank God). Why have questions in competitions about South Africa or South Africans? – JD
* LADY with car registration N120816W – you almost caused an accident on the Walvis Bay/Swakopmund road on Saturday. Please abide by the traffic rules!

Free Speech
* UTONI Nujoma jumped up to say to attack a German ambassador is freedom of speech but to attack his father and the leaders in the Namibian Government is not freedom of speech. Who are these people fooling? This German government gave more money to our government that does not know what they are talking about. Mrs Nora Schimming-Chase may God bless you for talking. – Sunday

Politics
* THE demonstration by SPYL just shows how immature they are.
* ‘WE send our children (to school) to study’ and ‘education must not be mixed with politics’, were some of the messages written on placards during the SPYL demonstration at Ohangwena Region. At the same time, I saw schoolchildren in that demonstration. Personally, I almost failed Standard 7 in 1989 because I was busy with Swapo protests. Also, history, as a subject, is politics. Swapo Party leaders must stop their political hatred and intolerance against their political opponents.
* WE are the youth of Namibia 16-35 years old. We must care for our future and for the generation to come. Let us join together and talk about ways to better education, health and employment for all. We must protect Namibia against those who abuse the power of their offices, to abuse state funds, to enrich themselves.
* MY fellow Namibians please let us do our talking at the ballot box this year. Enough is enough, because some politicians take us for granted

General
* NAMIBIAN women, please respect the other women looking after your children. In most cases they are there because you know they will be well looked after (food, medical, school). Say thanks to the mothers looking a
fter your kids.

Labour Issues
* IS there nothing the many workers’ unions we have in this country can do to accommodate the seagoing officers? We are made to work for abnormally prolonged time without leave, plus only spending a few hours with our families, after spending at least a week at sea. Do fishing companies care about workers rights or humanity for that matter? Yet workers unions watch us suffer. Please, Mr (Evilastus) Kaaronda and your team, do something!
* CAN anyone tell me where the reduction of unemployment fits into the government plans if Grade 10 and 12 learners are not allowed to repeat once they fail? I don’t know for how long do we have to make ourselves suffer in our small country.

Education
* IT’S painful! Someone please help us. Weissenfels School closes its doors at the end of 2003, Naos Primary at the end of 2008 and now rumours that another one will close at the end of 2009. Please, Minister, Director, Honourable Governor, councillors and unions, help us and do not allow the closing of another school in a remote, rural area. What happened to the slogan ‘Education for All’? What about the buildings of the Government on the school premises which is going to close at the end of the year? The reasons for closure: The ‘farm owner’ doesn’t want a school on his ‘farm’ anymore.

Health Matters
* PLEASE, when will the Government outlaw smoking in restaurants and shopping centres? It is so disgusting when somebody behind you starts smoking just as you start eating. And the dangers of second-hand smoking are well researched
* IF Mr Kamui and his comrades don’t want the so-called hospitals to be called slaughtering houses, they must just show it to the nation. Most times at our hospitals patients are being told to come back the next day for medicines because the medicines are not there that time. What if that patient dies before the next day just because of that medicine that is not there on time? At Outjo patients are being admitted at one place in the bush which is not in a condition for keeping sick people because it is very dirty and full of grass in the whole yard. We want hospitals but not slaughtering houses. Instead of doing your job, you talk without acting.