SMSss for Friday 14 January 2011

SMS Of The Day
n WE (Namibians) should get serious. Do we really need an airport at Okahao (as per January 12 SMS), while others have no tap water, clinics, roads, electricity, etc? Let’s be reasonable thinkers. Let’s stop self-centredness? The needs and wants should be differentiated.

Food for thought*OUR land of the brave is said to be a democratic country with the protection of human rights and dignity, but I’m just wondering what’s happening now! On the Citizenship application form it is written that within 180 days a person is expected to get his citizenship but instead its vice versa – it takes two or some years to get it, even though you will not just wait but you also have to face the intimidation in their offices. Some of us are senior students who are supposed to own IDs which are needed in everything a person does whether you apply for a job or school admission and identification of one’s nationality. But how can a person apply for an ID if she/he doesn’t have a citizenship and was born outside Namibia for that matter? The Ministry must tell us whether is it a crime to be born outside the country? Just looking for clarity on this issue, as it really affects people’s lives and the nation at large if you don’t mind.*FUNNY, how other governors are just repeating C Swartbooi’s state of the region speech … but words are one thing, how about ACTION? Go Clinton, go!Crime and Punishment*ON 12.01.2011 at Shoprite Okuryangava FNB ATM one man pretended to help a certain man to withdraw money. He took the man’s Bob card and drove off in an older model yellow sedan Honda Ballade. Dear Windhoekers watch out for three men with this car.*NO matter how clearly you explain a specific crime/incident location…the 4444 SMS line of the City Police seems to be a white elephant. Can’t they at least configure it such that it sends back a confirmation text back to the sender?- Hoëbeb*AG shame, American Townsend can only pay N$300 but we can fly all the way to Namibia to commit crimes. Am I in the wrong movie here or what?*PEOPLE caught with drugs given N$300 fine and those who wash car in the street took to prison, what an excellent law we have in Namibia.- Julia Ndara*I SALUTE the Namibian Police for what they did at New Year with closing all shebeens. And please proceed to close all shebeens every Sunday as well because the shebeen workers don’t get time to attend church services.*IN response to an SMS questioning the legality of the Inspector General’s decision to stop shebeens from operating on 1 January 2011 that appeared in The Namibian of 12.01.2011, the IG is tasked with safety and security of the public. He is empowered by the Constitution to take whatever action he deems necessary to ensure public security via different acts of parliament and other rules. A lot of murders/stabbings are committed in and around alcohol outlets, many road accidents are ascribed to drunken driving, etc. Trading in alcohol needs to be toned down if not heavily regulated as alcohol is a mind-altering drug like any other. Do not just think about your profit from trading in liquor, think also of its corrosive effect on the fabric of society.- No to alcohol, Walvis Bay*ONDANGWA Police please make a patrol on the railway line between Ondjondjo and Oniipa where people are chased at night.From the Regions*ETAYI councillor please. Do something. We need water at Okaku nearby Oshuungu. We are walking 10 km to get water and that water is not clean.*OPUWO is a dirty town.*HURRAY for Mayor Moses Titus, a man not afraid of telling the truth and demonstrating wisdom! Our nation is founded in a culture of begging and handouts, and as such will remain slaves of the hands that feed them.*THE land sold, the land never bought. Can Councillor Mwahanyekange tell the Namibian nation the truth. Since when did Namibia become free of charge to foreigners to develop malls, banks and shop, leaving the Namibians landless? Is the Ohangwena regional authority’s action part of the government policy? Is the land available free of charge to foreigners in all regions? Can Anti Corruption Commission investigate this matter?
Lost and Found*S J Neumann: lost my ID and driving licence and bank card. Call Siegfried at 0812944931.Consumer Issues*HI Namibia, can anybody in the know please educate me here. Until what stage is an apple still OK for human consumption. I see fruits (apples) in big chain shops severely wrinkled and ‘soft’. Not to mention those sold on streetcorners. – MartinNOTE: They may still be fine to eat but they are not fresh and are probably past their sell-by dates. We suggest you report to the management of the supermarkets in question and/or refuse to buy them.- Newsdesk*NAMPOST Windhoek your customers are unhappy because you let pregnant women stand in long queues.*CAN Pick ‘n Pay, especially Katutura, please stop selling expired foodstuffs. It’s a health hazard.NOTE: Please report things like this to the management of said outlet.- NewsdeskEducation and Youth*MINISTER of Education, why don’t the newly graduated teachers be the first to get vacant posts rather those employed already? We can’t compete with them because they have more experience than us.- Unemployed teacher*UNAM must stop increasing fees every year as not all of us parents are veterans.*TO the Ministry of Education, Thank you for giving our future leaders a second chance. You’ve make us proud. But I have one thing to ask: can you please look into and bring back the four school terms, I think then the children can give us better results. They didn’t go to school for a long time in the winter, and one term is too long for the brain to take it.- Concerned Mum*MINISTRY of Youth National Service Sport and Culture. Thank you for the Nigerian experts in their various field to assist in skills development for our unemployed youths, we loudly applaud our Namibian government as well as the Nigerian government. However, it’s equally important to give them a proper Public Service Induction and customer care in the Namibian context.
*NIGERIAN experts? What a joke! Are we really serious with our youth development? We could do better than that!- Andrew*NANTU: What is the harm in opening doors for pupils to repeat grade 10 & 12? Hasn’t the so-called nation suffered enough heartache career wise? Yet they are called dropouts as though they willingly left school. Let’s stick to what the Minister said that ‘All pupils must repeat’.- Concerned youth*HATS off for Dr Iyambo and others but headmasters, education inspectors and duty line employee should be disciplined and pushed to perform the duties they are getting paid for.*PARENTS who are blaming the teachers: I am sorry to say they not the ones to blame. I was also a student and failed my grade 10 due to laziness, not listening to teachers and lack of concentration.*I APPLAUD the Minister of Education for giving a 2nd chance to the grade 10 pupils who failed. This is shows a revival within the Ministry and for the learners! We expect more changes like extended school times 2-4pm! What do kids do at home from 1-4pm? They go 2 shebeens to learn drinking, smoking and play jackpots and as a result they fail in their exams!Road safety*ON 24 December a vehicle was towing an open trailer with braai drums on it AND three young children. How reckless and stupid. Transporting people in any kind of vehicle-drawn trailer is illegal unless specifically designed for human transport.*HOW does one justify compulsory use of seatbelts, but people transported in and on the loading boxes of bakkies and lorries is permitted? Road Ordinance surely prohibits such transportation of people. Why are our authorities are turning a blind eye to these deathtraps?*NATIS get real. If it was a lady, that bribe would have been accepted, either cash or in kind. It happens daily especially at Otjiwarongo testing centre. Bring in a female testing official to assess the number of male versus female people who got their learners licences.Green Affairs*LET us encourage and empower our nation on sustainable energy – solar cookers, saving and harvesting water – rainwater tanks, using both animal and human excrement – fertilisers. In the face of food shortages we CAN produce and provide for Namibia’s own needsUnions and Labour*IT is almost a week since I have sent an SMS regarding the issue of Karibib mining at Langer Heinrich. My concern was why there is no union. Why can’t the government do something as people can get dismissed if they mention the name union.Health and Hospitals*MINISTRY of Health please help Ananias by taking care of her baby as she can no longer cope with the problem which her baby boy is facing.*WHY do we condemn nurses for every unfortunate issues that occurs in hospitals, yet the good they do goes unnoticed? When will people go for their follow-up dates to avoid complications and stop blaming hospitals for their own makings! It is a high time we stop this negativity towards doctors and nurses and save our own lives.*ANSWER to ‘water in the head’ that some babies are born with: This ‘water’ is called cerebrospinal fluid and is produced within chambers called ventricles. The ventricles are found in between the two halves (or hemispheres) of the brain and they communicate with similar spaces surrounding the spinal cord (sub-arachnoid space). Normally this ‘water’ continuously circulates and there is a balance between its rates of production and absorption. If the rate of production exceeds absorption or if absorption is impaired, accumulation results and there is swelling; this condition is called Hydrocephalus. Causes: developmental abnormalities in the brain, some infections e.g. Meningitis, etc.Religious freedom*’GOOD Morning Namibia’ has turned into a pulpit for pastors. Why not bring in other religious leaders? We also have Muslims, Jews and Bahai to name a few. It is really boring right now!- Pancho