SMSes of the Day : Wednesday

* FROM a concerned mother of a five-year-old boy to the Minister of Education: Please reconsider the age allowance to Grade 1. Kids are delayed with a year of schooling. For example a five-year-old would only go to school in 2011 because a kid must be seven on the first of January of the year that he is to start school. Please Mr Minister. We are concerned.

* FORGET and forgive. Namibians must learn to forgive, even though it’s hard to forget. They must know that forgiveness helps you to imagine a better future. Food for Thought * AS an African I lived in Europe for more than 10 years and was never discriminated against. Now being back home I see ethnic discrimination everywhere which causes crime, poverty and injustice. Keeping us divided might be a strategy to keep us silent, because a wealthy nation won’t be ruled by fools.* WE Namibians are naively unrealistic. We are not a football powerhouse. NFA, wake up and get used to this fact! We can even have Pele himself down here as coach but it will be in vain. Stop firing coaches every time the Brave Warriors lose. The coaches have other duties at other levels of football development too pleaseZimbabwe* (PRESIDENT Robert) Mugabe for president and (Opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan) Tsvangirai as Prime Minister. The winner serving the loser. It can only happen in Africa.* LEAVE (President Robert) Mugabe alone. You people, don’t you have other things to talk about? Why don’t you talk about the Brave Warriors’ performance, unemployment and high prices for anything that requires money? If you want to help Zimbabwean people, tell the West to withdraw their sanctions against Zimbabwe. – Kwetu Dume – The News Editor replies: If you follow these pages regularly, you will note that Namibians are talking about the Brave Warriors, unemployment, etc. Personally I applaud those Namibians who show their concern for fellow Africans, in this case Zimbabweans. As the solidarity rallying cry goes: “An injury to one is an injury to all”. Also, I find this poem most famously quoted by a German pastor, Martin Niemoeller ((1892-1984), thought-provoking: When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn’t a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.* DID you know? ZIMBABWE stands for Z=zero; I = income; M=mainly; B=because; A=all; B=brainy; W=workers; E=emigrated. Shame on (President Robert) Mugabe.* SOMETIMES I wonder why should we get so worried about those in Zimbabwe? They choose to suffer by keeping that tyrant of a president in office for quite too long.* IT’S truly disappointing that President (Hifikepunye) Pohamba, who is for democracy and who is a committed Christian, accepted President (Robert) Mugabe’s one-man election. It is sad, truly sad.Higher And Higher* TRANSPORT allowances should also be increased when fuel goes up. Please.* I AM tired of fuel prices going up every month, why can’t they just increase it once? And please Ministry of Education, build more houses at schools to rescue us against petrol (increases) or provide electricity at schools in the bush so that we can make our shack houses there. Just imagine driving 40 km from Ondangwa to school. We are tired. We never save, we are just working for petrol. Oh aayeeee!* THE oil price is going up, don’t the Easterners want our uranium, let’s raise our prices. We can gain. – Eldon* HOW many African countries are producing oil? Are they also in ignorance to Africa’s pledge for price relief or are they going for the profit?* WHAT is what? When the Bank of Namibia and the Government are trying to see how to create a better way for Namibian people to survive, the municipalities are behind them milking their pockets. The GRN should intervene.Politics In General* MARK my words. Honourable Jerry Ekandjo is making lot of noise to be considered for presidency. Election is near and once he’s nominated, we will head Zimbabwe’s way. – Ben* ASSER Ntinda is in the habit of attacking Swapo members and Swapo leaders in the Swapo Party paper. Does he do so with the blessing of the Swapo leadership? The vicious attack by Ntinda some yeas ago in “his” newspaper on Hage Geingob is just but one example. Geingob is now Party Vice President. Can Ntinda look Hage in the eye and say that was warranted? Ntinda must be called to order before he causes more suspicions and distrust among comrades. His agenda looks similar to Nghifitikeko’s.* THE Editor of Namibia Today, Asser Ntinda, must be punished for [allegedly] blackmailing NBC and falsification and or forging of the information about Bob Kandetu’s leadership. All the media are supposedly expected to report news accurately without distorting the facts.* I DON’T understand why most of the RDP rallies are not broadcast or appear in newspapers. There was a star rally at Katima which attracted a large crowd of people but I have not heard about it on radio, TV or in a newspaper, why?* WITH another political party on the rise, bringing the total to 10, namely, Swapo, DTA, UDF, Nudo/Swanu, CoD, MAG and APP, RDP, DPN, Mr Kauwandenge’s party and Caprivians Party (not yet registered), competing for a less than 1,2 million electorate. Are we heading for another Zimbabwe?* MR Jerry Ekandjo, do you know that [former South African] President [Nelson] Mandela was also in the same prison (Robben Island) but he is a true leader. He doesn’t hate anyone. Hon Minister behave like a leader please.Politics in General* PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki you deserve a very looong rest.* ZANU-PF is afraid of change but their friends Swapo also look afraid. America seems to support change. Obama, tell me what is wrong with African leaders? – Ke ntwa boss* PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki is an embarrassment to the world. How can he announce the death of President Levy Mwanawasa without even confirming with the Zambian High Commissioner in South Africa, citing that he was informed by a very reliable source. Or was his reliable source Mr Robert Mugabe? – Apparently President Mbeki was wrongly informed by a high-ranked SADC official. – News Editor* I WISH that all opposition parties in the countries that side with Mugabe should form one party and vote the Mbekis, Pohambas, Mugabes, etc, off their thrones! Stop playing Ndilimani music at rallies because the lyrics brings renewed anger and hatred … rather play Lucky Dube. – Cleo, Luederitz* WHY is it that some of our leaders are full of hatred? Is it because of [the formation of the] RDP? I wonder what will happen in 2009? We want peace and development but not hate speeches.General* MY dear Namibians, why are we doing this to the poor Zimbabweans? Should a poor old lady really pay a fine of N$6 000 for overstaying or two years in jail. Shame on us. Please go and pay for her Mr Jerry Ekandjo, maybe after that you will revoke your statement.* PLEASE … come on Windhoek Municipality. On the side of Havana N4, people are building ghettos everywhere they wish. It’s like there’s neither law nor order. What’s going on?* NAMFISA has got to look into the issue of non-payment of employers’ contributions in cases of resignations from the public service. These are part of conditions of service benefits. Not paying them out is tantamount to self-enrichment by relevant pension funds.* I AM very angry and still waiting for the outcome on what will happen to the officer who shot a young man in the face in front of my house without giving him a warning shot. It happened on Saturday afternoon. Who will pay for the damages to this young man and for his accounts and of course he will lose his job. How will he survive? Will the officer pay him his $2 000 a month for the rest of his life because that was his salary a month? – R ‘Gazza’ KatjanguaEducation* CAN the Government do more publicity on the procedures for obtaining financial assistance for further studies?* HELLO Namibians. I am just worried and angry with some teachers at Kuisebmond Secondary School who are [allegedly] beating our children there.* HOW can we develop if development is being denied to primary schools? Computers were donated but never received at schools.* WE are suffering at Amilema Combined School, Omuthiya Circuit. We have not had maths since March last term. Please Mr Principal and inspector, solve this problem for us.* LOWER primary teachers in Namibia are dumped in the dustbin after completing diplomas from the colleges. Unam cannot offer higher diplomas or degrees at lower primary level. Even though they are building a foundation, how do expect them to build it if you ignore them. We want to upgrade our qualifications like maths and science teachers at Namibian institutions not outside the country! Unam do something for lower primary teachers.* NANSO must act for free education, because some of us lost school and life for Nanso, Swapo and Namibia, but my kid has no free education. – Ras Fora* PLEASE we want to hear from the PS of the Ministry of Agriculture, when are we going to be employed? We have been applying but never received feedback since 2005. Now the Ministry of Education has requested us to pay back the loans we used during studies. Where we would get the money, if we got our diplomas for nothing? Posts are many in the newspapers but we don’t know if those filling have more eligible requirements than ours? Please we want to fill those posts.Bouquets and Brickbats* THANK you Okahandja Municipality for finally replacing the old torn flag with a new one. It sure was long overdue!* CAN somebody tell why on earth MTC seems to be painting the whole country blue? We love supporting services provided by them but no thanks to the painting spree they got themselves into. It makes the country look very ugly.* SERVICE at the Robert Mugabe Clinic is not up to standard. Staff pull yourself together. Patients do not need any sort of special favours they only need treatment on time. Respect and take your work seriously, do it the Florence Nightingale way. No need to get angry and ugly with those who run after your help. – Very upset outpatientLabour Issues* LABOUR Unions should not only embark on salary adjustment but also in reduction of taxation. – Xale * G4S MD we need double our money on Sunday and public holidays. Please.That Memorial* The German Reiter not only represents Nama and Herero history but Namibia’s history. Whoever moves it changes the history of Namibia. Let us keep it for future generation to know how it started from the German Reiter and ending up with Heroes’ Acre. Please let us keep rich Namibia’s history. Keep the German Reiter.* AS an African I lived in Europe for more than 10 years and was never discriminated against. Now being back home I see ethnic discrimination everywhere which causes crime, poverty and injustice. Keeping us divided might be a strategy to keep us silent, because a wealthy nation won’t be ruled by fools.* WE Namibians are naively unrealistic. We are not a football powerhouse. NFA, wake up and get used to this fact! We can even have Pele himself down here as coach but it will be in vain. Stop firing coaches every time the Brave Warriors lose. The coaches have other duties at other levels of football development too please Zimbabwe * (PRESIDENT Robert) Mugabe for president and (Opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan) Tsvangirai as Prime Minister. The winner serving the loser. It can only happen in Africa.* LEAVE (President Robert) Mugabe alone. You people, don’t you have other things to talk about? Why don’t you talk about the Brave Warriors’ performance, unemployment and high prices for anything that requires money? If you want to help Zimbabwean people, tell the West to withdraw their sanctions against Zimbabwe. – Kwetu Dume – The News Editor replies: If you follow these pages regularly, you will note that Namibians are talking about the Brave Warriors, unemployment, etc. Personally I applaud those Namibians who show their concern for fellow Africans, in this case Zimbabweans. As the solidarity rallying cry goes: “An injury to one is an injury to all”. Also, I find this poem most famously quoted by a German pastor, Martin Niemoeller ((1892-1984), thought-provoking: When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist. When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat. When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Jews, I remained silent; I wasn’t a Jew. When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.* DID you know? ZIMBABWE stands for Z=zero; I = income; M=mainly; B=because; A=all; B=brainy; W=workers; E=emigrated. Shame on (President Robert) Mugabe.* SOMETIMES I wonder why should we get so worried about those in Zimbabwe? They choose to suffer by keeping that tyrant of a president in office for quite too long.* IT’S truly disappointing that President (Hifikepunye) Pohamba, who is for democracy and who is a committed Christian, accepted President (Robert) Mugabe’s one-man election. It is sad, truly sad.Higher And Higher * TRANSPORT allowances should also be increased when fuel goes up. Please.* I AM tired of fuel prices going up every month, why can’t they just increase it once? And please Ministry of Education, build more houses at schools to rescue us against petrol (increases) or provide electricity at schools in the bush so that we can make our shack houses there. Just imagine driving 40 km from Ondangwa to school. We are tired. We never save, we are just working for petrol. Oh aayeeee! * THE oil price is going up, don’t the Easterners want our uranium, let’s raise our prices. We can gain. – Eldon * HOW many African countries are producing oil? Are they also in ignorance to Africa’s pledge for price relief or are they going for the profit? * WHAT is what? When the Bank of Namibia and the Government are trying to see how to create a better way for Namibian people to survive, the municipalities are behind them milking their pockets. The GRN should intervene.Politics In General * MARK my words. Honourable Jerry Ekandjo is making lot of noise to be considered for presidency. Election is near and once he’s nominated, we will head Zimbabwe’s way. – Ben * ASSER Ntinda is in the habit of attacking Swapo members and Swapo leaders in the Swapo Party paper. Does he do so with the blessing of the Swapo leadership? The vicious attack by Ntinda some yeas ago in “his” newspaper on Hage Geingob is just but one example. Geingob is now Party Vice President. Can Ntinda look Hage in the eye and say that was warranted? Ntinda must be called to order before he causes more suspicions and distrust among comrades. His agenda looks similar to Nghifitikeko’s.* THE Editor of Namibia Today, Asser Ntinda, must be punished for [allegedly] blackmailing NBC and falsification and or forging of the information about Bob Kandetu’s leadership. All the media are supposedly expected to report news accurately without distorting the facts.* I DON’T understand why most of the RDP rallies are not broadcast or appear in newspapers. There was a star rally at Katima which attracted a large crowd of people but I have not heard about it on radio, TV or in a newspaper, why? * WITH another political party on the rise, bringing the total to 10, namely, Swapo, DTA, UDF, Nudo/Swanu, CoD, MAG and APP, RDP, DPN, Mr Kauwandenge’s party and Caprivians Party (not yet registered), competing for a less than 1,2 million electorate. Are we heading for another Zimbabwe? * MR Jerry Ekandjo, do you know that [former South African] President [Nelson] Mandela was also in the same prison (Robben Island) but he is a true leader. He doesn’t hate anyone. Hon Minister behave like a leader please.Politics in General * PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki you deserve a very looong rest.* ZANU-PF is afraid of change but their friends Swapo also look afraid. America seems to support change. Obama, tell me what is wrong with African leaders? – Ke ntwa boss * PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki is an embarrassment to the world. How can he announce the death of President Levy Mwanawasa without even confirming with the Zambian High Commissioner in South Africa, citing that he was informed by a very reliable source. Or was his reliable source Mr Robert Mugabe? – Apparently President Mbeki was wrongly informed by a high-ranked SADC official. – News Editor * I WISH that all opposition parties in the countries that side with Mugabe should form one party and vote the Mbekis, Pohambas, Mugabes, etc, off their thrones! Stop playing Ndilimani music at rallies because the lyrics brings renewed anger and hatred … rather play Lucky Dube. – Cleo, Luederitz * WHY is it that some of our leaders are full of hatred? Is it because of [the formation of the] RDP? I wonder what will happen in 2009? We want peace and development but not hate speeches.General * MY dear Namibians, why are we doing this to the poor Zimbabweans? Should a poor old lady really pay a fine of N$6 000 for overstaying or two years in jail. Shame on us. Please go and pay for her Mr Jerry Ekandjo, maybe after that you will revoke your statement.* PLEASE … come on Windhoek Municipality. On the side of Havana N4, people are building ghettos everywhere they wish. It’s like there’s neither law nor order. What’s going on? * NAMFISA has got to look into the issue of non-payment of employers’ contributions in cases of resignations from the public service. These are part of conditions of service benefits. Not paying them out is tantamount to self-enrichment by relevant pension funds.* I AM very angry and still waiting for the outcome on what will happen to the officer who shot a young man in the face in front of my house without giving him a warning shot. It happened on Saturday afternoon. Who will pay for the damages to this young man and for his accounts and of course he will lose his job. How will he survive? Will the officer pay him his $2 000 a month for the rest of his life because that was his salary a month? – R ‘Gazza’ Katjangua Education * CAN the Government do more publicity on the procedures for obtaining financial assistance for further studies? * HELLO Namibians. I am just worried and angry with some teachers at Kuisebmond Secondary School who are [allegedly] beating our children there.* HOW can we develop if development is being denied to primary schools? Computers were donated but never received at schools.* WE are suffering at Amilema Combined School, Omuthiya Circuit. We have not had maths since March last term. Please Mr Principal and inspector, solve this problem for us.* LOWER primary teachers in Namibia are dumped in the dustbin after completing diplomas from the colleges. Unam cannot offer higher diplomas or degrees at lower primary level. Even though they are building a foundation, how do expect them to build it if you ignore them. We want to upgrade our qualifications like maths and science teachers at Namibian institutions not outside the country! Unam do something for lower primary teachers.* NANSO must act for free education, because some of us lost school and life for Nanso, Swapo and Namibia, but my kid has no free education. – Ras Fora * PLEASE we want to hear from the PS of the Ministry of Agriculture, when are we going to be employed? We have been applying but never received feedback since 2005. Now the Ministry of Education has requested us to pay back the loans we used during studies. Where we would get the money, if we got our diplomas for nothing? Posts are many in the newspapers but we don’t know if those filling have more eligible requirements than ours? Please we want to fill those posts.Bouquets and Brickbats * THANK you Okahandja Municipality for finally replacing the old torn flag with a new one. It sure was long overdue! * CAN somebody tell why on earth MTC seems to be painting the whole country blue? We love supporting services provided by them but no thanks to the painting spree they got themselves into. It makes the country look very ugly.* SERVICE at the Robert Mugabe Clinic is not up to standard. Staff pull yourself together. Patients do not need any sort of special favours they only need treatment on time. Respect and take your work seriously, do it the Florence Nightingale way. No need to get angry and ugly with those who run after your help. – Very upset outpatient Labour Issues * LABOUR Unions should not only embark on salary adjustment but also in reduction of taxation. – Xale * G4S MD we need double our money on Sunday and public holidays. Please.That Memorial * The German Reiter not only represents Nama and Herero history but Namibia’s history. Whoever moves it changes the history of Namibia. Let us keep it for future generation to know how it started from the German Reiter and ending up with Heroes’ Acre. Please let us keep rich Namibia’s history. Keep the German Reiter.