SMSes of the Day : Tuesday

* CREATING new schools won’t solve the difficulties in education as long as teachers are not called to order. There are only very few teachers who are assertive, committed and disciplined. Eighty per cent of them are beyond lazy. Working from seven to one o’clock, while pupils are failing year in and out and can’t even read or write, is unacceptable. Minister of Education, do something for the sake of our children.

* REGARDING those people with degrees blaming Government for not getting jobs, note that not everybody who studied made it, just like not all who made it studied. Life’s battles don’t always go to the faster or stronger man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. Instead of dwelling on life’s unfairness and blaming Government, look within yourself. – S Shoombe * ANDREW Ndishishi is not above the law because he is a Permanent Secretary. Why does he not respect the Police? His Excellency should intervene and address this matter. Ndishishi should not escape liability.Food for thought* I AM totally disillusioned with Ramatex and the Government of the Republic of Namibia, who undermine the workers’ responsibility to support their families. How on earth did our Government allow foreigners to take our people for granted by withholding critical information from them to the last minute. I really fail to understand the whole fiasco.* THE taxpayers funded the liberation movie, but we are now being charged again to see it. It’s not fair!* THE fuel price has to go up as the barrel of oil increases globally. However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy should answer the following: Why does it cost more to transport diesel than petrol, while diesel is cheaper to produce and was always cheaper than petrol at the pump? Why, the sudden ridiculous increase of diesel above petrol since 2007? Suspicious.* OUR President at the weekend said on the news that the Government didn’t plan for the floods. But, then what about the National Emergency Fund? It just goes to show how badly our leaders plan or are they scared the money will go the same way as Avid, ODC and GIPF? Wonder how much of the money that was given by businesses for the flood will be used for that purpose and how much for personal use.Condolences* NAMIBIA is mourning a big loss this month. Two prominent, national leaders, CoD MP Kalla Gertze and Swapo Party MP and Minister John Pandeni, have passed on. But who deserves a State funeral and who will go to the national Heroes Acre? Fairness and justice should prevail to promote equal representation. While we observe a moment of silence, let us learn to live together in peace and with respect for one another, irrespective of political differences. They have left unfinished political business. So, may their souls rest in peace.Politics in general* NBC ‘Open Line’ moderators should know that the NBC is a national institution and not a private one and if they don’t want people to express their views, they’d better resign. If they regard themselves as politicians then they are not fit to conduct such programmes.* RDP interim leadership, one of the Swapo Party’s weaknesses is time management. However, I find that you also have a problem keeping time and failing to be punctual at your meetings. If a rally or a meeting is scheduled at 13h00, it should not start after 15h00. Next time I want to see the leaders arriving before the scheduled time.* I’M a young Swapo supporter, who is concerned about the failure of our leaders, including our President, to contain violence and political instability. Please Swapo leaders you must know that you have more influence than the opposition over the people of this country and if you call the RDP the enemy you are instigating violence. There are many positive points you can use in your campaigns. Your political strategy is obsolete, it will not work, not even in Zimbabwe. You will be responsible for every seat lost to the RDP. – Lineekela Ashipala* PLEASE Namibians, we do not need to continue singing praise songs for freedom fighters who brought us independence 18 years ago. It’s time to bury the past and move onto a bright future. Swapo and the RDP are both power hungry!* CAN the ACC tell us why a Member of Parliament occupies the farm Katemba in the Kunene Region – a farm earmarked for resettlement. Can the authorities explain the presence of this MP at the farm, because the resettlement process has not even gotten off the ground. Do we always have to see the so-called leaders benefiting from everything? It’s just a matter of time before they get a toilet paper allowance.* UNITED Democratic Front (UDF), when will our congress take place? This is something that you need to look at so that your mandate is refreshed through democratic means.From the regions* I WOULD like to remind our leaders that elections do also take place in the Ohangwena Region. At this point in time most young Namibians from Ohangwena are on the verge of totally losing trust and hope in most of our leaders. The loudest we can speak now is through elections. Stop neglecting our region. We elected you to power! What have you done for us this far? Why have you appointed an incapable Governor for our region? We need a change!* MINISTER Richard Kamwi, you visited Otjiwarongo State Hospital several times and observed the conditions there. Do you plan to renovate and extend this hospital that also happens to be the referral hospital in the region? Smaller towns like Outjo, Okakarara, Grootfontein have new hospitals while ours is old, unhygienic and falling apart. Please do something.* PRESIDENT Pohamba demanded better performance, accountability, transparency, prudent fiscal control and adhering to existing rules. He further said that public institutions must not be used as cash cows for self-enrichment and called for strong measures to prevent misappropriation of funds and other corrupt practices. Despite this, the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing has failed Berseba villagers in this regard. Even though the management of the village drives to Keetmanshoop to do banking for the church, taking along a pastor and wife of a headman of the Goliath clan, claiming transport cost from the village council nothing will be done to stem such irregularities. Five houses worth N$800 000 for pensioners were built. Come and see for yourself the one million dollar Build Together Project houses. Deceased village bills are still alive. Where does the village council generate money from to cover S&T allowances per week for these trips?* WE, the residents of Mangetti in the Kahenge Constituency are in dire need of a cellphone network and improved radio coverage. We are forced to travel 60 km to make or receive a call. Please help us enjoy our deserved piece of national cake. – Mwanyengwa* I AM a communal farmer, who is very concerned about the worms that are eating our mahangu crops, leaving us hopeless over what to do to eliminate these pests. I plead with the Government and especially with the Ministry of Agriculture to help. – Worried farmer* WHY are we in the South always left behind? Up to now we don’t receive any One Africa TV signal here at Mariental. Please do something urgently, One Africa! I applaud you for your brilliant, local and relevant broadcasting so far! But please come to us now!* I CALL on the entire leadership of the Government to also look after the people living in the Erongo Region. This region is endowed with natural resources, but development projects such as income-generating projects, rural electricity network, telecommunications and public schools are not coming to the region. We do have a conservancy project, which is not working and is about to be closed because there is no money to pay those running the project. Please assist us in setting up a big tourist enterprise like a lodge in Ugab River for the community to generate an income. – Eddie Tjivinde.General* ANDREW Ndishishi, what a disgrace to the party and the Government. He was in Swakop to preside over a ministerial planning session, so was he driving an official car?* TRANSNAMIB, will you please tell us why there are no trains running between Tsumeb and Ondangwa? This leads us to support the RDP statement that states that the Tsumeb-Ondangwa Railway Extension is a good one, but was constructed at the wrong time.* I WANT TO comment on one SMS where the writer asked why opposition parties are quiet about assisting with the floods. Let me advise the writer, none of the political parties have done anything to assist the flood victims, not even the ruling party. The current assistance comes from the Government, NGOs and the business community. Let me also tell your writer that there is a big difference between the Government and the ruling party. The ruling party was simply given the mandate by the electorate to administer Government expenditure and does not own it. That’s why we hold elections to test the trust of the electorate.* I FIND this interesting. Poorly paid often turn to cash loans. Where do they get what they pay as interest? Jumping from a frying pan into the fire, isn’t it?* WHEN is our Government going to strengthen the agriculture sector? At the moment all the priority of the State is on mining and fisheries alone. – Varry* GRADUATES please honour your bursary commitments with companies, because you are blocking our future. We are now in Grade 12 and will need the financial assistance from these very same companies. When they finish their studies the graduates run overseas without meeting their end of the bargain.* PERMANENT Secretary of Home Affairs are you aware that foreigners who married to Namibians are experiencing difficulty in getting their citizenship applications approved? There are delays in the whole process. Applicants wait for more then six to 10 years. I wonder who is the chairperson of the citizenship board?* WHY is the price of fuel going up like that, while the salaries remain stagnant? Will we poor people be able to travel with our own cars or will we have to hike?* PLEASE Napwu must do something to have the salaries of civil servants increased. We are the people who are doing a lot of work on the ground, but earning very little money, and cannot even afford to cover our basic needs. Please act immediately.* GOVERNMENT, open your eyes before it’s too late. Public servants are crying over low pay. You have been quiet for so long. The 5% increase you are giving won’t even be enough to cover one’s petrol for a week. Please do something now!* I WAS a Police offer for twelve and a half years, well experienced and very hardworking. I remained a Constable for 12 years without promotion, whereafter I was very frustrated and resigned after being given a Class Two Sergeant rank to keep quiet. Inspector General, please consider your experienced and hard-working Police officers out there and still being frustrated about their situation in your organisation.Education* TEACHERS are getting three school holidays a year, but stay out of school a lot, while learners are just sitting idly. A teacher at our school has been absent for 15 days out of 45 days since the school started.* ANDREW Ndishishi is not above the law because he is a Permanent Secretary. Why does he not respect the Police? His Excellency should intervene and address this matter. Ndishishi should not escape liability.Food for thought * I AM totally disillusioned with Ramatex and the Government of the Republic of Namibia, who undermine the workers’ responsibility to support their families. How on earth did our Government allow foreigners to take our people for granted by withholding critical information from them to the last minute. I really fail to understand the whole fiasco.* THE taxpayers funded the liberation movie, but we are now being charged again to see it. It’s not fair! * THE fuel price has to go up as the barrel of oil increases globally. However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy should answer the following: Why does it cost more to transport diesel than petrol, while diesel is cheaper to produce and was always cheaper than petrol at the pump? Why, the sudden ridiculous increase of diesel above petrol since 2007? Suspicious.* OUR President at the weekend said on the news that the Government didn’t plan for the floods. But, then what about the National Emergency Fund? It just goes to show how badly our leaders plan or are they scared the money will go the same way as Avid, ODC and GIPF? Wonder how much of the money that was given by businesses for the flood will be used for that purpose and how much for personal use.Condolences * NAMIBIA is mourning a big loss this month. Two prominent, national leaders, CoD MP Kalla Gertze and Swapo Party MP and Minister John Pandeni, have passed on. But who deserves a State funeral and who will go to the national Heroes Acre? Fairness and justice should prevail to promote equal representation. While we observe a moment of silence, let us learn to live together in peace and with respect for one another, irrespective of political differences. They have left unfinished political business. So, may their souls rest in peace.Politics in general * NBC ‘Open Line’ moderators should know that the NBC is a national institution and not a private one and if they don’t want people to express their views, they’d better resign. If they regard themselves as politicians then they are not fit to conduct such programmes.* RDP interim leadership, one of the Swapo Party’s weaknesses is time management. However, I find that you also have a problem keeping time and failing to be punctual at your meetings. If a rally or a meeting is scheduled at 13h00, it should not start after 15h00. Next time I want to see the leaders arriving before the scheduled time.* I’M a young Swapo supporter, who is concerned about the failure of our leaders, including our President, to contain violence and political instability. Please Swapo leaders you must know that you have more influence than the opposition over the people of this country and if you call the RDP the enemy you are instigating violence. There are many positive points you can use in your campaigns. Your political strategy is obsolete, it will not work, not even in Zimbabwe. You will be responsible for every seat lost to the RDP. – Lineekela Ashipala * PLEASE Namibians, we do not need to continue singing praise songs for freedom fighters who brought us independence 18 years ago. It’s time to bury the past and move onto a bright future. Swapo and the RDP are both power hungry! * CAN the ACC tell us why a Member of Parliament occupies the farm Katemba in the Kunene Region – a farm earmarked for resettlement. Can the authorities explain the presence of this MP at the farm, because the resettlement process has not even gotten off the ground. Do we always have to see the so-called leaders benefiting from everything? It’s just a matter of time before they get a toilet paper allowance.* UNITED Democratic Front (UDF), when will our congress take place? This is something that you need to look at so that your mandate is refreshed through democratic means.From the regions * I WOULD like to remind our leaders that elections do also take place in the Ohangwena Region. At this point in time most young Namibians from Ohangwena are on the verge of totally losing trust and hope in most of our leaders. The loudest we can speak now is through elections. Stop neglecting our region. We elected you to power! What have you done for us this far? Why have you appointed an incapable Governor for our region? We need a change! * MINISTER Richard Kamwi, you visited Otjiwarongo State Hospital several times and observed the conditions there. Do you plan to renovate and extend this hospital that also happens to be the referral hospital in the region? Smaller towns like Outjo, Okakarara, Grootfontein have new hospitals while ours is old, unhygienic and falling apart. Please do something.* PRESIDENT Pohamba demanded better performance, accountability, transparency, prudent fiscal control and adhering to existing rules. He further said that public institutions must not be used as cash cows for self-enrichment and called for strong measures to prevent misappropriation of funds and other corrupt practices. Despite this, the Ministry of Regional, Local Government and Housing has failed Berseba villagers in this regard. Even though the management of the village drives to Keetmanshoop to do banking for the church, taking along a pastor and wife of a headman of the Goliath clan, claiming transport cost from the village council nothing will be done to stem such irregularities. Five houses worth N$800 000 for pensioners were built. Come and see for yourself the one million dollar Build Together Project houses. Deceased village bills are still alive. Where does the village council generate money from to cover S&T allowances per week for these trips? * WE, the residents of Mangetti in the Kahenge Constituency are in dire need of a cellphone network and improved radio coverage. We are forced to travel 60 km to make or receive a call. Please help us enjoy our deserved piece of national cake. – Mwanyengwa * I AM a communal farmer, who is very concerned about the worms that are eating our mahangu crops, leaving us hopeless over what to do to eliminate these pests. I plead with the Government and especially with the Ministry of Agriculture to help. – Worried farmer * WHY are we in the South always left behind? Up to now we don’t receive any One Africa TV signal here at Mariental. Please do something urgently, One Africa! I applaud you for your brilliant, local and relevant broadcasting so far! But please come to us now! * I CALL on the entire leadership of the Government to also look after the people living in the Erongo Region. This region is endowed with natural resources, but development projects such as income-generating projects, rural electricity network, telecommunications and public schools are not coming to the region. We do have a conservancy project, which is not working and is about to be closed because there is no money to pay those running the project. Please assist us in setting up a big tourist enterprise like a lodge in Ugab River for the community to generate an income. – Eddie Tjivinde.General * ANDREW Ndishishi, what a disgrace to the party and the Government. He was in Swakop to preside over a ministerial planning session, so was he driving an official car? * TRANSNAMIB, will you please tell us why there are no trains running between Tsumeb and Ondangwa? This leads us to support the RDP statement that states that the Tsumeb-Ondangwa Railway Extension is a good one, but was constructed at the wrong time.* I WANT TO comment on one SMS where the writer asked why opposition parties are quiet about assisting with the floods. Let me advise the writer, none of the political parties have done anything to assist the flood victims, not even the ruling party. The current assistance comes from the Government, NGOs and the business community. Let me also tell your writer that there is a big difference between the Government and the ruling party. The ruling party was simply given the mandate by the electorate to administer Government expenditure and does not own it. That’s why we hold elections to test the trust of the electorate.* I FIND this interesting. Poorly paid often turn to cash loans. Where do they get what they pay as interest? Jumping from a frying pan into the fire, isn’t it? * WHEN is our Government going to strengthen the agriculture sector? At the moment all the priority of the State is on mining and fisheries alone. – Varry * GRADUATES please honour your bursary commitments with companies, because you are blocking our future. We are now in Grade 12 and will need the financial assistance from these very same companies. When they finish their studies the graduates run overseas without meeting their end of the bargain.* PERMANENT Secretary of Home Affairs are you aware that foreigners who married to Namibians are experiencing difficulty in getting their citizenship applications approved? There are delays in the whole process. Applicants wait for more then six to 10 years. I wonder who is the chairperson of the citizenship board? * WHY is the price of fuel going up like that, while the salaries remain stagnant? Will we poor people be able to travel with our own cars or will we have to hike? * PLEASE Napwu must do something to have the salaries of civil servants increased. We are the people who are doing a lot of work on the ground, but earning very little money, and cannot even afford to cover our basic needs. Please act immediately.* GOVERNMENT, open your eyes before it’s too late. Public servants are crying over low pay. You have been quiet for so long. The 5% increase you are giving won’t even be enough to cover one’s petrol for a week. Please do something now! * I WAS a Police offer for twelve and a half years, well experienced and very hardworking. I remained a Constable for 12 years without promotion, whereafter I was very frustrated and resigned after being given a Class Two Sergeant rank to keep quiet. Inspector General, please consider your experienced and hard-working Police officers out there and still being frustrated about their situation in your organisation.Education * TEACHERS are getting three school holidays a year, but stay out of school a lot, while learners are just sitting idly. A teacher at our school has been absent for 15 days out of 45 days since the school started.