SMSss for Monday 07 February 2011

SMS Of The Day
*SCHOOL principals and teachers stop the barbaric so-called ‘initiations’ at your schools and secure a friendly, protective environment for new learners.

Food for Thought*I PROPOSE an un-employment benefit be given to all unemployed Namibians older than 21 years – as well as those earning below a certain salary amount – in the place of the Basic Income Grant.Bouquets and Brickbats*JUST curious. We have a lot of ministers and deputy ministers in this country yet we only hear of Dr Abraham Iyambo and Minister Kamwi doing their jobs. What are the other ministers doing? May God bless you Dr Iyambo and Minister Kamwi.*THANKS a lot to Mariental Engen Service station. Each and every year that station is clean. I always travel from the North to Lüderitz but that service station is the only one that is always clean. Keep it up. God bless you and your staff. Thank you.*CONGRATULATIONS to the mighty Erongo Region of excellence for scooping all three positions for being the top performing region in JSC, NSSCH and NSSCO 2010 results. We are very proud. To God be the glory.*I DO say thanks so much to the ministers of Health and of Education for hard work, but I see no reason for them running around regions and pointing fingers and treating the poorly paid teachers and nurses as if they are kids. If the regional directors and inspectors do the job daily and make visits to the schools and hospitals, then nobody is going to run around if you came for visits. If you see poor performance just fire the top directors, inspectors, matrons, principals. Please make an example so others can know that you are very serious. And hire someone else who can do the job. They have become too comfortable and don’t care anymore. To hire and fire will keep them on their toes and you will see the results you want.- Rodger, Swakop*NAMIBIA is rated one of the lowest in the world when it comes to providing financial (help) to SMEs. Shame on the Government, DBN for your lip service and no action!- AR Kamati*USE of clicks in Damara/Nama: The Namibian’s journalists and other writers should refrain from using clicks for Damara/Nama names and words if they are not sure about it. Wrong use of a click changes the meaning of a word completely.- Erich*THE Namibian issues dated 20th and 21st Jan were both numbered Nr 13. As a regular reader and record keeper I observed it upon my return on February 4.n WHAT’S wrong with folks living in Government houses? The grass in and around the houses is as high as their thighs. The windows/doors are broken. They can’t even afford curtains, they use packaging material instead. I can’t believe that the persons who dress to kill are living like this!In the same boat*FOR telling it like it is Al Jazeera is banned in Egypt and The Namibian is banned in Namibia. Isn’t it a perfect match?In and from the Regions*ALBERTUS, we the youth of Hardap request you to broadcast the statement made by our very able Governor when she was addressing all local authorities and CEOs on January 26, especially the part where she request a Cabinet resolution on establishing a Regional Youth Development Fund. Please that’s important for us and all youth in this country. *OKAHANDJA Police please! We are sick and tired of the noise from the juke box in the shebeen situated in Helena Shipena Street at Budget Homes, Nau-aib. We can’t watch the news, children can’t do their homework and at night we can’t even sleep. Do something please.- Tired resident*PLEASE Councillor Kanyele of Onesi Constituency we need electricity at Uuhongo JPS.- Simon S S*MY concern is about life in the North at Onangwe, Ohangwena Region.We are tired of drinking dirty water mixed with faeces.*MUNICIPALITY of Keetmanshoop who is in charge of the rubbish dump? We the residents of Krönlein and Tseiblaagte we are suffering from smoke coming from the rubbish dump. Why is it that you burn the rubbish every day of the week, is it because you don’t care about our health or is it incompetence? These residents are already hit hard by lung and other health problems. Please find a solution. Taxi Talk*POLICE case. I wonder if taxis in Grootfontein have transport permits or did they just decide to bring their cars onto the streets and start causing trouble to other road users by selfish stopping and parking everywhere. Traffic officers do not notice this*GOVERNMENT give the taxi drivers jobs to survive. These are our brothers who pay our education and take care of us. Some of us we are orphans. *WE shouldn’t blame the blame taxi drivers for the strike. Namibia is one country where most of the people are below the poverty line. How can you expect a person earning N$500 – N$750 to pay N$4 000 fine when most of them have already been struggling with paying the N$300 fines. *TRAFFIC fines are too much not only to the taxis. I am not a taxi driver but people you must think of the others. We are poor we cannot pay that. *THOSE who want to support new traffic fines must keep quiet. We are human beings and not machines which can be programmed. We make mistakes. If I forget my safety belt how will I feed my family. I am not a taxi driver but support them.*WHY oh why dear taxi drivers do you continue with this nonsense? Realise this those fines are imposed on all of us, normal drivers and taxis alike. So maybe us normal road users should also demonstrate and have a peaceful ‘strike’ to show our dislike of your general reckless and negligent and inconsiderate driving. So back off us others road users also have rights. Education*THE role arts and culture plays in the social upliftment and economic advancement of African societies seems to be underscored in Namibia. The ministry responsible for the development of arts and culture is very sluggish in implementing programmes and projects; and thus is depriving the society opportunities to optimally utilise arts and culture as an economic empowerment tool.*I CALL on Unam to improve registration by introducing online registration to cut down on cumbersome long, time consuming queues with the current registration. Please use it, innovation.*PLEASE Unam increase the number for psychology, 14 students a year too few.*SEVEN hours waiting at Poly without even getting a checklist to start the registration process. What is going on?*POLYTECHNIC first year registration is really pathetic. People sitting here from seven in the morning till three and they haven’t even started with the checklist. The rector should please do something because we can’t spend 2 days here and no progress.- Spendu*INSPECTOR of Erongo why is there no MYO centre for kids in Walvis Bay like in Swakop? Our kids are struggling with homework. Parents cannot afford homework classes because it’s very expensive.n DR Iyambo, we need classrooms in Mpungu Circuit, Kavango Region.*EDUCATION for all at Kalenga PS. As a parent I am so disappointed to see a little girl being denied access and a chance to start Grade 1 at the age of 12. There is a reason as to why this girl did not commence school at the age of six or seven as is the norm. Minister Iyambo and other educational officials contact that school for clarity 067 242059.- Shocked*WHAT must one do to receive a computer and printer at a Government office. Tsandi Circuit, Omusati Regional Educational Office does not own a computer. How do they get the work done? Mr Abraham Iyambo please advise the office what to do.
Where’s it gone?*MINISTER of Education could you please provide us parents a platform where we as parents can give our grievances. At the beginning of each year I buy 10 toilet papers for my child schooling at Emma Hoogenhout Primary School. But there’s no toilet papers in the toilets. No water (from last year) in the girls toilet to wash their hands after using the toilets. Really is that how a school should run?City Fathers Please…*CITY of Windhoek we need electricity at the new erven at Otjomuise Ext 8. What happened? We are paying since last year. We can’t wait that long. *I AM very concerned with the way the Municipality is running things. Rocky Crest is an area that has existed for more than 8 years. Up to now there are no bus facilities in place and the domestic workers are suffering with these stubborn taxis. Please do something about this. *CITY of Windhoek please your new transport system is very poor in getting us to work on time. Every day buses get later. Please help us because we will be losing our jobs soon. I work at Olympia and am taking a bus at Golgotha bus stop but the bus is always full. Help usHealth Matters
*DEAR editor. We are patients at the Khomasdal Clinic. It’s lunchtime and believe you me the security guard told us to wait outside in the rain till 14h00.*WALVIS Bay Medipark hospital has a shortage of radiologists. Out patients come and wait for almost four hours while patients in the wards have to wait for five hours. Please management do something.- Frustrated ward patient.NBC*I WOULD like to thank NBC for the programme ‘Off the Hook’ for giving us information on education issues which are really important to the youth. Keep it up guys because some of us are less informed and do not know where to start.- Mr CLabour Issues*NANTU should change its name. It hardly fights for the advancement of teachers’ intellectual and classroom practices.*DELAYED employment is denied employment. How can it take more than 6 months for a vacancy to be filled? Government or parastatals. I applied for jobs more than 6 months ago but till to date I haven’t received any response. – Unemployed youth.*GOVERNMENT must start taking the issue of racism seriously. In nearly all places I have gone to, the same scenario repeats itself. Either you’re completely ignored or you’re spoken to in a rude way. Why not employ inspectors who will disguise themselves as customers and identify these culprits whose licences can be revoked if they don’t respect the laws of our country.*MR Evilastus Kaaronda please help us. We are the 16 contract workers from the City of Windhoek. Until now we have not got our increase. Please hear our request.Up in Smoke*CAN anyone explain what the situation is regarding smoking in restaurants? What is wrong with our lawmakers? *WOERMANN Brock Klein Windhoek do you have any plans in place to protect the health of your non-smoking clients in your cafe?Sporting*NAMIBIA let’s take example from SA by wearing our sports codes jersey every Friday to support our teams. NBC as national broadcaster to lead, followed by all newspaper agencies, then Parliamentarians! Wake up Namibia.- KapwiksService Please*NAMPOST Savings Bank provides a valuable service for some of us who are part-time farmers. We can pay the Waterpoint Committee as well as our employees through Nampost. However, the deposit receipts are of such poor quality to serve as proof of payment. Moreover; statements are not detailed; eg the name of the depositor does not appear on the statements nor can one obtain a statement of the account of the Waterpoint Committee covering a whole year. These make it difficult for us who use this service.
Responses to recent SMSesFrom the Ministry of Education*DR Iyambo thank you for your hard work. You are really making things happen. But you are quiet about special education in Namibia. We want you to intervene.
The Minister of Education, Hon Dr Abraham Iyambo is not quiet on Special Education. Dr Iyambo is promoting the provision of learning support to learners who are not performing. Also, one of the recommendations from the report of the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education’s visit to the regions last year was that tertiary institutions infuse Inclusive Education in pre-service training courses and for institutions to also offer modules on Inclusive Education to teachers who are in service. The University of Namibia will also be introducing a degree course on Inclusive Education. The Ministry is aware that there is a need for at least one special school in every region to serve as a resource school on Special Education and the Inclusive Education Policy has addressed that. *MINISTER Iyambo I wrote Grade 12 in 2004 but until now my certificate is still at school because I didn’t pay the school fees and two text books were stolen. My parents and I don’t have money to pay. n DOES a school have the right to keep our Grade 12 results statement and testimonials when the school fees are outstanding?Schools cannot keep Grade 12 result statements or any result statement of another grade due to the non-payment of school fees. This is in violation of the Education Act (No.16 of 2001). Parents and learners affected are urged to contact their respective School Education Inspectors.*DR, I’m a teacher in Oshigambo Circuit and I need clarity on the issue of knocking off at 16h00. Is it uniform with all schools in Namibia? If not why is it only applicable to some schools. Teachers working hours are not confined to the teaching hours of 07h00 – 13h00, but they are obliged to ensure that learners achieve by carrying out remedial and compensatory teaching. *DEAR Dr Iyambo, directors, inspectors, is it fair that no bush allowance was paid to the bush school secretaries?- Concerned teacherBush allowance is only for teachers, because the Ministry has a problem attracting and retaining qualified teachers at schools in remote rural areas. *I WOULD like to ask the NSFAF why they don’t give loans to people studying at diploma level. I want to study at IUM, but they can’t give us a loan. Why didn’t they say that in the application form before we applied?- Diploma studentThe Ministry, through the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) provides loans to successful applicants for diploma courses at the International University of Management (IUM).*I FAILED Grade 10 and went back to my school Augustineum High School and was told that the Grade 10 classes are full while the Minister ordered schools to take back all the learners who failed. Please Dr Iyambo what do I do now. All Grade 10 learners who sat for the JSC examinations and did not achieve the required points of 23 or above to proceed to Grade 11 are allowed to repeat. Please contact the Regional Education Office at (061) 2934356 and ask for the Inspector of Education for Augustineum High School for assistance. Yours in Education PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE*WHY is it so completely out of question to demand that nobody should be allowed to own more than ten million? Why should we not limit a single persons earnings to max N$100 000 per month and why should it not be illegal to serve on more than one board?*I AGREE 100 per cent with the person that complained that her husband has to be stationed far from home just because he works for the Ministry of Safety and Security or for Ministry of Defence. Some of them have babies and small kids who also need their father’s attention, love and care. Why can’t you ask them where they wish to work or be stationed? By doing this they will also perform better in their jobs. It will also decrease infidelity in marriages and relationships. A happy worker is the best worker. – Unhappy