8 NAMIB TIMES
7 OCTOBER 2014 The views and opinbions expressed on this page are not necessarily those of the namib times. We do encourage and value the participation of our readers, but we cannot publish any libellous letters. Letters and Facebook comments from readers are left unchanged, but libellous remarks and unacceptable language will be removed at the discretion of the editing staff.
letters @namibtimes.net
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Refusal of the Namibian namib times acebook Government to allow reader’s comments private aviators into Prime Minister Geingob to marry Namibia boss of Stimulus Investment
It is with deep concern that events surrounding the denying by our government, of a fly-in
Tongues have been wagging profusely since news broke on Wednesday that Prime Minister Hage Geingob intends to marry the prominent venture capitalist, Ms Monica Kalondo, founder of Stimulus Investment. The weekly Confidente reported this week that the Prime Minister confirmed his intention to marry the young entrepreneur, who is also the Managing Director at Stimulus Private Equity and founder of the new E-Bank. Kariseb Mudani Wulf: Damara ladies be like”Eto hina”. Titus Tuza Hetwali: Its business. Anthea October: OMG, this is just not right... he could have been your grand or great grand pa, aye no.... Morne Visser: Would have liked her to go into
politics, dont think she will now. She has a brilliant business mind and would have been a great minister of finance. Carol Muller: ETO, seriaaaaaas? Heidi Ludwig Pyper: Congratulations, hope I’m invited. Justine Kalukuma:
She’s going to be the most beautiful first lady ever. TJ Joram: She wants to chop ou Hage’s money. Rosalia Rusa Severus: This girl is already rich. Denise Van Bergen: Congratulations!!!! Nganate-Hondjera Lorraine Vanny: Imagine she is only 38 but
hey guys, love has no barrier and age. Seems Hage doesn’t like to pick women from his tribe. I’m not being racial just observation. Anyway congrats, Monica is a well groomed lady, so future president don’t hurt her please.
Allen Camm was arrested at Swakopmund on Saturday in connection with car theft and fraud Camm was due to appear the Magistrate’s Court on Monday to answer to charges of defrauding local investors by falsely presenting himself as a vehicle importer. It is alleged he defrauded unsuspecting buyers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by promising to import luxury vehicles from the UK, but he never delivered the cars or the money. Camm had promised to pay back the money, but there is no evidence that he ever did. Sterjos Stergiadis: Is this guy from Walvis Bay? I swear it’s the same dude that wanted to import us a car from the UK. Christel Stergiadis: Yip Sterjos Stergiadis it
was him! I didn’t trust this guy from the minute I laid eyes on him! My instinct was right! Kavee Tjitua Kustaa: This guy must be thrown in jail for the rest of his life. He will
never stop because it became part of his life now to defraud innocent people. He must get not less than 15 years behind bars, because he will never pay back the money.
Kariseb Mudani Wulf: Dom tsotsi this one. Dumisang Condry Mathebula Sani: Indeed he is dom. Madelene Horn: Just another a............
Ope brief aan die Burgermeesteres van Walvisbaai U Eksellensie Uilika Nambahu Ek dank u dat u so ‘n ope mens is en vir die voorreg om my bekommernisse uit te kan druk aangaande die lae koste behuising skema wat in Narraville gebou word. Ek is een van die gelukkiges wat aansoek gedoen het in 2004, die aansoeke is goed gekeur in 2012 en ons is telefonies laat weet
dat ons in November 2012 by die Munisipaliteit van Kuisebmond moet bymekaar kom om kontrak te teken en ons erwe te ontvang. Ons is ook planne gewys van die huise en gevra of ons tevrede is. Almal wat betrokke was het saam gestem en so aanvaar, met die belofte dat die projek in Narraville
drie maande sal neem en dat ons die huise sal ontvang. Volgens die huis se plan wat ons ontvang het, staan daar uit druklik: 110mm interval mure; 12mm pleister interne; en eksterne “Brickforce reinforcement every 4th course”. Na regte volgens plan wat goed gekeur is moet pleister werk ge-
doen word (12mm pleister) volgens die argitek Mr. M. Jansen. Dit deteken nie dat die bou kwas in sement water druk word en teen die mure gesmeer word nie. Pleister asseblief, pleister. Ons wil u Eksellensie vra om vir ons te kyk na hierdie saak, asseblief. Help
tour to our country by a group of South African aviators have been noted. This is not the first time that are certified, ultra-modern What is even more disturbing this type of ham-fisted treat- and highly sophisticated is that this particular incident ment of foreign tourists has factory built machines. This is but the tip of the iceberg. made the headlines. During becomes even more embar- The off-handed attitude disMay 2013, a group of sixteen rassing when two of these played by officials towards South African aviators were types reside at Eros airport. foreigners is on the increase. arrested, harassed and their It would have been very easy Thus we regularly receive aircraft impounded. They for the DCA to avail them- complaints about unfriendly were later released and put selves of the particulars of officials at our border posts up in a hotel where they were these aircraft. This shocking as well as other ports of entry, required to remain until be- display of ignorance, para- specifically Hosea Kutako ing summarily thrown out of noia and blatant incompe- international airport. Tourists the country. tence goes on and on. If it bitterly complain about beThis latest development, had not been so serious, it ing treated as criminals upon whereby a South African could be dismissed as an- entering the country. Foreign based group has been refused other laughable example of investors complain about the entry into Namibia based on bureaucratic bungling. How- bureaucracy involved in set“reasons of security” again ever, this is a direct result of ting up businesses. smacks of bungling and in- appointing people to senior, A South African tourist at a eptitude, coupled with a de- decision-making positions in road block during a Decemgree of paranoia which bor- state institutions on the basis ber holiday was openly inof political allegiance rather formed that all SA registered ders on the absurd. Are we really so scared and than competence and exper- vehicles were being targeted militarily unprepared that a tise. The problem will not re- for so-called import infringegroup of aviators in light air- solve itself. Something needs ments. The list goes on. craft might sow havoc? D o to be done. Serious questions More and more, Namibia is those in power really believe are being asked and decisive, being referred to by foreignthat this could pose a national transparent action must be ers as a police state where threat or is the reason given taken to stop this embarrass- one can be arrested, harassed merely a smokescreen to dis- ing and pathetic state of af- or victimized at the drop of courage tourism from certain fairs to continue. Somebody a hat. What is ironic is that sectors of the South African must take responsibility for the Ministry of Tourism and the NTB are spending milpopulation? this mess. At this point it has to be em- It is common knowledge lions on promoting Namibia phasized that we are in pos- that visitors to our country as a prime tourist destinasession of a complete and are more often than not, con- tion while other ministries, very comprehensive set of fronted by excessive bureau- departments and officials documents which prove that cracy coupled with a plethora are making every attempt to the South African group did of tedious, time-consuming drive visitors out in a flurry everything timeously and by administrative processes and of xenophobia and, as is ofthe book. obscure regulations of which ten the case, with racist unFrom these documents, they are simply unaware, un- dertones. Why spend these which also include the re- til they are being denied, ac- amounts if officials persist in this self-centred and mysponses from the Namibian costed, harassed or arrested. side, it is quite clear that the It is our contention that this opic attitude? It also begs the mess was created on our side latest embarrassing affair question: would government of the border; either will- is yet again the result of have handled the matter in fully or merely as a result ham-fisted bureaucratic in- similar vein if the applicants of glaring incompetence. eptitude, mis- or non-exist- had been Chinese? We think Thus it emanates that the PS ent communication among not! of the Ministry of Defense decision makers and a heavy The long-term effect of this blatantly states that such a dose of excessive, unrealistic deplorable attitude and the concomitant incompetence large number of aircraft will paranoia. not even be allowed to fly in It is patently clear that among of officials who should be their home country – this in the Directorate of Civil Avi- our public relations officers the face of written approval ation, the Ministry of Works to the outside world, but are by the South African Civil and Transport and the Min- incapable of exercising disAviation Authority for the istry of Defense, something cretion or lateral thinking, flight to take place as well veered off track to the ex- are disastrous for our counas the statistics available to tent that it yet again puts our try. prove that massive fly-inns in country in a bad light. Is po- As Namibians who have a South Africa, involving up to litical power wielding among vested interest in the wella hundred or more aircraft, politicians and bureaucrats being of our country, we deare a regular phenomenon. In really more important than mand a response from govthis context it must also be the national interest? ernment at the highest level noted that this particular fly- The irony is even more per- with regard to this incident inn has already been staged turbing and blatantly obvious as well as the general state in other SADC countries when it is considered that of affairs where tourists have such as Botswana and Mo- this latest incident occurred been selectively harassed by in the same week when a Immigration officials as well zambique without problems. It is a regular event, hosted national tourism workshop as the Namibian Police. by the distributor of Cirrus was staged in Windhoek, Government has to state unaircraft in the SADC region. inter alia to devise strategies equivocally whether it is satThe Ministry of Defense to make Namibia the most isfied with this state of affairs also claims that the words competitive tourist desti- or not. If not, we demand “holiday” and “tourism” are nation in Africa by the year that it informs the public of in conflict with each other 2017! We believe that the the steps they are taking to – a reference to the South Ministry of Tourism should rectify the situation once and African application which inform their colleagues in for all. utilized both words in their other ministries, state depart- Signed in Windhoek on this documentation. ment and directorates of this 2nd day of October 2014. The Directorate of Civil Avi- aim, because the latter’s ac- H.F. Mudge ation also refers to the Cirrus tions clearly do not provide President of the Republican aircraft as “micro lights.” To any indication that they sub- Party of Namibia the contrary, these aircraft scribe to it.