SMSes of the Day : Tuesday

* EDUCATION and politics do not work hand in hand in the sense that we have in power people who lack proper planning skills and really care about the nation. The directives from the Ministry of Education for Grade 10 failures of last year is a practical example of poor planning and an attempt to score cheap political points. Most schools in rural areas lack all basic necessities for teaching and learning to take place in a conducive environment. With these types of leaders one has doubts about the realisation of Vision 2030.

* THE staff at Waterberg Plateau made my Easter holidays one of a kind and wonderful. The last time I got quality customer service was when I visited the Victoria Falls. To my surprise the very same service I got in Zimbabwe, is what I got at the Waterberg Plateau. Credit must be given to those who deserve it, keep it up guys and thank you so much! – Fezile * IS it correct according to our Constitution to observe Christian holidays? The notion that 90 per cent of Namibians are Christian does not hold water as Namibia is constitutionally a secular State despite this unproven perception.Food for thought* TO all those politicians out there who love the phrase ‘Namibia is a young country’, nearly 20 years is a long time to have grown up. What Namibian politics now needs is a system combining capitalism with socialism to address the problem of income disparity. There are examples such as Sweden, where both the CEO and the cleaner enjoy high standards of living.* WHO are the war veterans? Please the Ministry of Veteran Affairs release the names in the media because some corrupt councillors have squeezed unknown veterans on the list.* DEAR Editor, your criticism might be justified. However Ministers Alpheus !Naruseb and Richard Kamwi have a hands-on approach as well as relatively knowledgeable about their particular fields of responsibility, but even they are struggling. I think civil servants should take an equally significant [amount of] blame. Most of them are convinced that you can’t be fired from Government and yes for that I blame Cabinet as policymakers. However if a minister does not perform then that is a reflection on his political party (as he is supposed to implement their manifesto), as the people have voted for the party and not the individual!* IF it is strongly believed that ‘a friend of a thief is equally a thief’. How come Namibia hosts the world’s notorious dictators as ‘guests of honour’? These are the likes of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and, [most] recently, during our 18th Independence Anniversary, North Korea’s Kim Yong-nam, received a red carpet welcome. A friend of dictators intends to be one or is one?The new State HouseTHE State House is a mission accomplished on which millions of Namibian dollars have been and still are spent. It is hailed as the symbol of the nation. In essence it represents wealth only for a few wealthy elite and is worth nothing to the general public and the poorest of the poor. We are told that the Swapo-led Government is on focus while establishing statutes of these magnitude with the “assistance” from the Korean government for self gratification only. The general public was not invited for the official inauguration. Sooner or later we are going to have a Korean town in Windhoek on top of the existing China town. We have to pay back in kind. Ramatex is phasing out.* WHEN the Northern Railway Construction Project started, ex-President Sam Nujoma and Head of State Hifikepunye Pohamba called us to go and volunteer. We volunteered but now the train does not have a discount price for the poor who volunteered. Similarly, a new State House was constructed by the North Koreans to the exclusion of the unemployed Namibians. During its inauguration on Independence Day, the ordinary people were excluded. Is it still a national asset or a VIP asset?* THE nation does not claim that the new State House is of poor quality, but says the timing is wrong, especially since more than half of the population is poor.Politics in general* PEOPLE like Tjekero Tweya contaminate constructive debates in our Parliament. McHenry Venaani is one of very few parliamentarians who prepare well for their speeches or contributions on issues in our Parliament. The Deputy Minister’s shameful interjections during Mr Venaani’s contribution are a disgrace. Mr Tweya clearly has no clue about what’s happening at Air Namibia though he claims to have “personally received” the two Airbuses. Honourable Deputy Minister, next time either say something constructive or alternatively save your breath. – Basler, Ondangwa* PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba the Railway Line from Tsumeb to the North and new State House, among others, are Sam Nujoma’s projects, according to you. What project(s) have you initiated since you came to power on March 21, 2005? You have not even removed the ‘Judas Iscariots’ in your Cabinet. Mr President, your constitutional contract with the Namibian people expires next year (2009). What will you be remembered for?* WHY was Swapo the first to pay tribute at Kala Gertze’s memorial service in the Parliament Gardens? And please don’t tell me he belonged to Swapo before he joined CoD. Shouldn’t it have been CoD first, then followed by any other party? – Magano Asser* I’M not bothered at what some of these leaders say about the RDP. I know that the majority are Hidipo Hamutenya supporters, but due to their cowardice, they hide in Swapo just to keep bread on the table.* THE breaking up of Swapo is a sad vindication for those who ceaselessly warned against authoritarian tendencies, the politics of the belly and clique behaviour that was extended for seven years. Add to this the deliberate neglect of pastoralists, education and many other social spheres, you start to wonder why the Swapo Secretary General and others who started to appear on that party’s radar screen of political darlings most recently, should now cry over things that fell apart under their bruising noses. Let us all remind Swapo that when we say Namibia is emancipated, we also mean not to take the nonsense of those suppressing our rights and freedoms for their own political, social and financial comfort.* THE ‘imperialists’ are bringing their money to Namibia to assist Namibians in education and health through the Millennium Challenge Account. My concern is whether Swapo, the NUNW and SPYL will accept such money because they hate imperialists. If they did not, our suffering will continue. If they accept it, what a contradiction!* I WOULD rather say that Heroes’ Acre is actually a Swapo cemetery, having observed the burials that take place there. Even the likes of Hidipo and Nyamu know that they won’t be buried there, while not in power. – Seun* I’M a young Namibian, who always wanted to know much about the Cuito Cuanavale battle. I therefore, would like to thank our leaders for deciding to talk about that event on our 18th birthday. At least now I have some idea as to what happened there, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who appreciated that. Thanks and I’m looking forward to know more. – Maria, Unam* AS a former Nantu leader, I strongly discourage the call for Nantu to disaffiliate from Swapo by some individuals. This will be a wrong move. Nantu should remain affiliated forever. Union decisions are purely taken by the members at school, branch, regional and national levels. Teachers need to be organised and union leaders sharpen their negotiation skills in order to get what has been mandated by the membership. In fact, who are those making this call? – KakuvaFrom the regions* WHY are the people at Iilyateko Village, Onesi constituency not getting electricity? We have a Roman Catholic mission with a hostel, clinic, Police Station and a school. Please we are sick and tired of this darkness.* I FIND it very unfair, when I have to pay the full amount for my TV licence. For the past two months, the NBC TV signal could not be picked up at Oranjemund. Are we going to get the refund for not being able to watch NBC TV? And for how long must we still wait? What would happen to us, if we don’t pay our licence fees?* SWAPO must know that most of its votes are going to come from the Omusati Region but you are not attending to us in terms of development. Just check even the main road between Oshakati and Outapi, that road is very old and needs renovation. We only have one Government secondary school at Ombalantu that was also been built by the colonial government. It’s now 18 years of Independence but we have not tasted the fruits of Independence. Is it true that you lost your vision or are we not Namibians?* MINISTER (Jerry) Ekandjo can you kindly please visit Dagbreek resettlement farm in Karas Region and listen to our lamentation. For seven years we are now waiting for internal camps and water is not fit for human consumption.Education* HERMANN Gmeiner School (Swakopmund) is being flushed down the drain, because the newly appointed principal is roaming the streets and golf course during school hours. What is the school board doing? We elected them to serve the school and parent community. Please come to the rescue of our children, Minister of Education.* CAN the director or deputy director of education in the Otjozondjupa Region explain why boarders at the Otjiwarongo Senior Secondary School don’t get sandwiches during break time, despite paying an extra N$620 for food? Please, our kids are starving during break. We need an answer!* WHAT is so special about the Grade 10s of last year that they are given a chance to repeat. What about the others who are on the streets now because they failed? What will the Government do for them.* THOSE who feel that teachers demanding for better salaries are not real teachers must been dreaming. Cost of living doesn’t discriminate. Why are people getting fond of just blaming teachers to the extent of being against their well-being? All living organisms need a rest, even some machines do.* THERE should be no choice given when it comes to mathematics and science in school. All children should have it! – A Imbili* I GRADUATED from Unam last year and I’m kindly requesting the Government to pay our loans, especially that of the graduates, because we would like to graduate on April 18. Right now we cannot even apply for jobs since Unam is not willing to give us our academic records due to outstanding fees, please help.General* THE Natis examiners are failing learner’s licence applicants. If an applicant explains the meaning of a traffic sign he is disqualified. To me what is important is to know the meaning behind the sign, not just the name of the sign. I therefore suggest that applicants be tested through a written test to be marked by a competent and knowledgeable marker rather than by the current examiners.* CAN I-way please do something to improve their service. To dial more than 20 times in succession without establishing a connection is unacceptable. When you phone them, you have to listen for five to 10 minutes to music and your call is not answered. Please do something.* I AM concerned about the two to eight years’ experience required by private companies and the Government when they advertise vacancies. I wonder what they think about new graduates without practical experience? Who is going to employ them? Something should be done please. We are even losing interest to apply. – Hubert* THERE is this programme called ‘Talking Pink’ on Katutura Community Radio (KCR) every Monday at 19h00. This programme strictly talks about issues affecting the lives of homosexuals – the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Keep up the good work and for informing us around issues of gender, sexuality and human rights.* THE Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs should also consider the families, especially parents of those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle, when it comes to the N$2 000 monthly payment. Those people need compensation for the participation of their family members.* IS it correct according to our Constitution to observe Christian holidays? The notion that 90 per cent of Namibians are Christian does not hold water as Namibia is constitutionally a secular State despite this unproven perception.Food for thought * TO all those politicians out there who love the phrase ‘Namibia is a young country’, nearly 20 years is a long time to have grown up. What Namibian politics now needs is a system combining capitalism with socialism to address the problem of income disparity. There are examples such as Sweden, where both the CEO and the cleaner enjoy high standards of living.* WHO are the war veterans? Please the Ministry of Veteran Affairs release the names in the media because some corrupt councillors have squeezed unknown veterans on the list.* DEAR Editor, your criticism might be justified. However Ministers Alpheus !Naruseb and Richard Kamwi have a hands-on approach as well as relatively knowledgeable about their particular fields of responsibility, but even they are struggling. I think civil servants should take an equally significant [amount of] blame. Most of them are convinced that you can’t be fired from Government and yes for that I blame Cabinet as policymakers. However if a minister does not perform then that is a reflection on his political party (as he is supposed to implement their manifesto), as the people have voted for the party and not the individual! * IF it is strongly believed that ‘a friend of a thief is equally a thief’. How come Namibia hosts the world’s notorious dictators as ‘guests of honour’? These are the likes of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and, [most] recently, during our 18th Independence Anniversary, North Korea’s Kim Yong-nam, received a red carpet welcome. A friend of dictators intends to be one or is one? The new State House THE State House is a mission accomplished on which millions of Namibian dollars have been and still are spent. It is hailed as the symbol of the nation. In essence it represents wealth only for a few wealthy elite and is worth nothing to the general public and the poorest of the poor. We are told that the Swapo-led Government is on focus while establishing statutes of these magnitude with the “assistance” from the Korean government for self gratification only. The general public was not invited for the official inauguration. Sooner or later we are going to have a Korean town in Windhoek on top of the existing China town. We have to pay back in kind. Ramatex is phasing out.* WHEN the Northern Railway Construction Project started, ex-President Sam Nujoma and Head of State Hifikepunye Pohamba called us to go and volunteer. We volunteered but now the train does not have a discount price for the poor who volunteered. Similarly, a new State House was constructed by the North Koreans to the exclusion of the unemployed Namibians. During its inauguration on Independence Day, the ordinary people were excluded. Is it still a national asset or a VIP asset? * THE nation does not claim that the new State House is of poor quality, but says the timing is wrong, especially since more than half of the population is poor.Politics in general * PEOPLE like Tjekero Tweya contaminate constructive debates in our Parliament. McHenry Venaani is one of very few parliamentarians who prepare well for their speeches or contributions on issues in our Parliament. The Deputy Minister’s shameful interjections during Mr Venaani’s contribution are a disgrace. Mr Tweya clearly has no clue about what’s happening at Air Namibia though he claims to have “personally received” the two Airbuses. Honourable Deputy Minister, next time either say something constructive or alternatively save your breath. – Basler, Ondangwa * PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba the Railway Line from Tsumeb to the North and new State House, among others, are Sam Nujoma’s projects, according to you. What project(s) have you initiated since you came to power on March 21, 2005? You have not even removed the ‘Judas Iscariots’ in your Cabinet. Mr President, your constitutional contract with the Namibian people expires next year (2009). What will you be remembered for? * WHY was Swapo the first to pay tribute at Kala Gertze’s memorial service in the Parliament Gardens? And please don’t tell me he belonged to Swapo before he joined CoD. Shouldn’t it have been CoD first, then followed by any other party? – Magano Asser * I’M not bothered at what some of these leaders say about the RDP. I know that the majority are Hidipo Hamutenya supporters, but due to their cowardice, they hide in Swapo just to keep bread on the table.* THE breaking up of Swapo is a sad vindication for those who ceaselessly warned against authoritarian tendencies, the politics of the belly and clique behaviour that was extended for seven years. Add to this the deliberate neglect of pastoralists, education and many other social spheres, you start to wonder why the Swapo Secretary General and others who started to appear on that party’s radar screen of political darlings most recently, should now cry over things that fell apart under their bruising noses. Let us all remind Swapo that when we say Namibia is emancipated, we also mean not to take the nonsense of those suppressing our rights and freedoms for their own political, social and financial comfort.* THE ‘imperialists’ are bringing their money to Namibia to assist Namibians in education and health through the Millennium Challenge Account. My concern is whether Swapo, the NUNW and SPYL will accept such money because they hate imperialists. If they did not, our suffering will continue. If they accept it, what a contradiction! * I WOULD rather say that Heroes’ Acre is actually a Swapo cemetery, having observed the burials that take place there. Even the likes of Hidipo and Nyamu know that they won’t be buried there, while not in power. – Seun * I’M a young Namibian, who always wanted to know much about the Cuito Cuanavale battle. I therefore, would like to thank our leaders for deciding to talk about that event on our 18th birthday. At least now I have some idea as to what happened there, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who appreciated that. Thanks and I’m looking forward to know more. – Maria, Unam * AS a former Nantu leader, I strongly discourage the call for Nantu to disaffiliate from Swapo by some individuals. This will be a wrong move. Nantu should remain affiliated forever. Union decisions are purely taken by the members at school, branch, regional and national levels. Teachers need to be organised and union leaders sharpen their negotiation skills in order to get what has been mandated by the membership. In fact, who are those making this call? – Kakuva From the regions * WHY are the people at Iilyateko Village, Onesi constituency not getting electricity? We have a Roman Catholic mission with a hostel, clinic, Police Station and a school. Please we are sick and tired of this darkness.* I FIND it very unfair, when I have to pay the full amount for my TV licence. For the past two months, the NBC TV signal could not be picked up at Oranjemund. Are we going to get the refund for not being able to watch NBC TV? And for how long must we still wait? What would happen to us, if we don’t pay our licence fees? * SWAPO must know that most of its votes are going to come from the Omusati Region but you are not attending to us in terms of development. Just check even the main road between Oshakati and Outapi, that road is very old and needs renovation. We only have one Government secondary school at Ombalantu that was also been built by the colonial government. It’s now 18 years of Independence but we have not tasted the fruits of Independence. Is it true that you lost your vision or are we not Namibians? * MINISTER (Jerry) Ekandjo can you kindly please visit Dagbreek resettlement farm in Karas Region and listen to our lamentation. For seven years we are now waiting for internal camps and water is not fit for human consumption.Education * HERMANN Gmeiner School (Swakopmund) is being flushed down the drain, because the newly appointed principal is roaming the streets and golf course during school hours. What is the school board doing? We elected them to serve the school and parent community. Please come to the rescue of our children, Minister of Education.* CAN the director or deputy director of education in the Otjozondjupa Region explain why boarders at the Otjiwarongo Senior Secondary School don’t get sandwiches during break time, despite paying an extra N$620 for food? Please, our kids are starving during break. We need an answer! * WHAT is so special about the Grade 10s of last year that they are given a chance to repeat. What about the others who are on the streets now because they failed? What will the Government do for them.* THOSE who feel that teachers demanding for better salaries are not real teachers must been dreaming. Cost of living doesn’t discriminate. Why are people getting fond of just blaming teachers to the extent of being against their well-being? All living organisms need a rest, even some machines do.* THERE should be no choice given when it comes to mathematics and science in school. All children should have it! – A Imbili * I GRADUATED from Unam last year and I’m kindly requesting the Government to pay our loans, especially that of the graduates, because we would like to graduate on April 18. Right now we cannot even apply for jobs since Unam is not willing to give us our academic records due to outstanding fees, please help.General * THE Natis examiners are failing learner’s licence applicants. If an applicant explains the meaning of a traffic sign he is disqualified. To me what is important is to know the meaning behind the sign, not just the name of the sign. I therefore suggest that applicants be tested through a written test to be marked by a competent and knowledgeable marker rather than by the current examiners.* CAN I-way please do something to improve their service. To dial more than 20 times in succession without establishing a connection is unacceptable. When you phone them, you have to listen for five to 10 minutes to music and your call is not answered. Please do something.* I AM concerned about the two to eight years’ experience required by private companies and the Government when they advertise vacancies. I wonder what they think about new graduates without practical experience? Who is going to employ them? Something should be done please. We are even losing interest to apply. – Hubert * THERE is this programme called ‘Talking Pink’ on Katutura Community Radio (KCR) every Monday at 19h00. This programme strictly talks about issues affecting the lives of homosexuals – the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Keep up the good work and for informing us around issues of gender, sexuality and human rights.* THE Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs should also consider the families, especially parents of those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle, when it comes to the N$2 000 monthly payment. Those people need compensation for the participation of their family members.