Making A Better World - Milton Louw

Namibia held its Regional Council and Local Authority elections on 27th November 2015. Probably the biggest lesson for the country is that so few voters (less than 40%) bothered to participate even after it was declared a public holiday. In the Regional Council election, each voter is expected to vote for an individual and it is easy for comparisons to be made between the individuals and the parties they represent. HOWEVER, our Local Authority elections are based on the party list system  - and very few voters even know who the candidates are they are voting for when they press the button next to their party of choice. Looking at the results from the Local Authority election, I am reminded of a quote from Henry George in 1833: "Much, too, may be done to restrict the abuse of party machinery, and make the ballot the true expression of the will of the voter, by simplifying our elective methods. And a principle should always be kept in mind which we have largely ignored, that the pe...

Facebook and social online media is today becoming a method of sharing our ideas with friends and relatives from all around the world, and all around our country too. It allows us to share our ideas, photos and private comments with each other and we know that our friends often think in the same wey that we do - that is after all why we are friends. Many of us do not think that our comments or posts should be considered public, or often consider that people we might not know can read our posts and judge us accoring to these comments. Last night, 5 January 2012, I was rather saddened to read a post by one of our leading artists who has over 29,000 people following him on Facebook. The Dogg posted the following at around 20h00 on his fan page: "A MULE IS A CROSS BREED OF A DONKEY AND A HORSE.....SO A BLACK PERSON AND A WHITE PERSON OFFSPRING IS ALSO A MULE SINCE IS CROSS BREED?....HAHAHAHAHAH"   This is obviously a racial slur and can lead to a charge of racism. What was ...

It is quite common to hear politicians admonoshing the white communities for not participating in natinal events. I am not a history buff, but have recently been talking about my student politics days and placed a few pohotos from this period. It got me thinking about the participation of young people (white, coloured or black) and the following struck me in an article, "..But maybe memory is what young people need to be taught before they can be taught actual history." So, I have started a small project to ensure that our common memory becomes available to our youth through the Wikipedia website. This site covers almost all areas of knowledge, but I found very little written about Namibia. While doing this I found that there were no templates on the languages or cultural identities of many of our peopls.  I have started the  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coloured_People_in_Namibia  and hope to assist in developing similar sites about our common memories. At t...

New Era article To many Namibians, the name Rehoboth sound too familiar because it is a well-known small town located about 90 Km south of Windhoek.   However, a closer look at the history of Rehoboth and the Baster Community who have settled in that area since around 1870, one would find that Rehoboth is a biblical name meaning ‘the promised land.’ Since ‘the promised land’ is what the Israelis who were moving out of Egyptian captivity wandered in desert for many years in order to get there, it is therefore likely that the history of Namibia’s Rehoboth have a similar narrative with the biblical Israelis whom Moses led.   However, unlike the biblical Moses who himself did not reach the ‘promised land’, Hermanus van Wyk did reach his after leading his people from the Cape Colony bondage. In the 1983 publication entitled the ‘History Makers’, by Lester Venter, the biography of Kaptein Hermanus van Wyk was presented. Related to the Griqua of the Historical Adam Kok of the...

I feel very much honored to be asked to write a foreword to this book by a political and economic researcher about our country and our times. The author of this book has spent many years studying the political and economic set up of our country. In my opinion, he has come up with many constructive ideas that can contribute to Namibia`s development. During the liberation struggle, we were building our sand castles and dreaming of how we wanted an independent Namibia to be. After we took the reins of power, we realized that it was not so easy to realize our dreams. It became apparent that even if the leaders of the government have good ideas, they cannot implement programmes and projects alone, but must rely on the commitment of civil servants to work in the interest of the Namibian people. As we set about to transform a system that has been based upon apartheid and colonialism, we were also challenged to transform the thinking of some staunch ...

I have just returned to Windhoek, Namibia and am happy to be home. I have been looking for a managed apartment or guest house environment where I do not have to worry about meals, washing or even security. I have found such a place in Charlotte's Guest House. Charlotte's Guest Home is a stately and luxurious home away from home situated in the heart of Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek. The guest house offers guests quality bed and breakfast or self-catering accommodation options in tastefully decorated rooms with a range of activities for guests to enjoy in the area. It is run by Mr Aziz Kyababa and his wife and its truly a home for me. If you are single (or divorced) try a managed apartment environment - it gives you the freedom of movement, with the feeling of home.

A list of Namibian bloggers which I hope to expand with your help. Change your life Creating Wealth Daves Boring Blog Dune Sieben (German) End forced Sterilisation Frantic Naturalist Girl Uncovered I present Roxanne Making a better Namibia Namibian DJ|s Namibia Facts Namibia Welcome One Stoned Crow The Joys Of My Splintered Life In SMALLTOWN Vakwetu Style Vieranas Safaris the new Der/die/das Namibia/er auf Deutsch Sinisterstuf Thanks

During the 1980's the battle for the hearts of the Namibian people was being fought. The PLAN combatants were waging war with their Angolan, Cuban and Russian allies, but this was taking place outside the borders of the country. Inside the country, the battle was in the form of protest and civil disobedience. The internal struggle included famous Namibians such as Hendrik Witbooi, Danny Tjongarero, Niko Bessinger, Anton Lubowski, John Pandeni and Ben Ulenga. They were harassed, beaten and arrested continuously by the South African regime. However, the regime felt it was winning. They had created ethnic authorities and many of these leaders had convinced the people of the need for managed democracy versus the communist take-over by SWAPO. All that changed when the students started participating in the struggle. In 1987 the police were unable to control and prevent the students from running through Katutura and Khomasdal, with some of the marchers reaching the central busine...

This week I sent out an email about an email between myself and Messr. Sherbourne of Nedbank. I though I should just explain why I felt it to be a remark based on racial stereotyping. _____________________________________________________ This week, once again it has been proved that we need to have a system that forces the white-owned financial institutions to make decisions that are not based on the race or gender of a person. Mr Robin Sherbourne, Economist of Nedbank, replied to my email: Please stop sending me emails. The IPPR is still trying to recover money you owe us from 2004. I can’t believe how duplicitous you have been yet you have the nerve to write about ethics and helping SMEs – unbelievable! You give BEE a bad name. It is true that I have a default judgement against me for a business transaction I was involved in. (more on my blog at http://milton-louw.blogspot.com/2011/04/open-letter-to-robin-sherbourne-nedbank.html). The fact of the matter is that in Sou...

All Namibian and visitors know what a hassle it is to collect application from Home Affairs. Now a collection of these forms are available. Just visit  Milton Louw's Blog  and all the forms can be downloaded from a list on the left. Just another service to keep "Namibia -the smile on the face of Africa." 

Google is looking for bright youngsters (aged 13 - 18) from around the world to submit interesting and creative Science projects that are relevant to the world today. It would be fantastic to see a Namibian student emerging as one of the 15 finalists who each get a $25 000 scholarship, An internship (at CERN, Google or Scientific American) personalized Lego kits Digital Access to Scientific American for their school If I was still in high-school, I'd be scheming to win this thing. For more information, check out the Google Science Fair website.

There was a proliferation of NGO’s created during the pre-Independence and immediately thereafter. They are involved in business development, cultural groups, agriculture, Aids, etc. They include international organisations such as the Red Cross, or local chapters of internationally accepted bodies such as the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR). Local NGO’s can work at gender issues such as the Women’s Action for Development (WAD), or animal rights such as the SPCA. They also include a variety of welfare organisations such as the Blood transfusion service or industry interests such as the NCCI or ICT Alliance. While most NGO’s are doing a good job in Namibia, unfortunately, some have not. They have abused their mandate or become a vehicle for an individual who is seen as the driving force or even “responsible for the success of the organisation”. This leads to the next question, “How do we distinguish between a good and bad NGO?” The following questions provide us with a litm...

This no April Fool's Joke What are the most popular sites in Namibia (.na domain)? What are the values of some of these website? 1. www.bankwindhoek.com.na , Points: 9.04212 2. www.bankwindhoekarts.com.na Points: 8.93036 3. www.grnnet.gov.na Points: 8.34682 4. www.namibiatourism.com.na Points: 5.22759 5. www.met.gov.na , Points: 5.02721 6. www.interact.com.na Points: 3.61174 7. library.unam.na Points: 3.22020 8. www.tasa.na Points: 3.00227 9. www.taleni.com.na Points: 2.96004 10. www.airnamibia.com.na Points: 2.89882 11. www.nied.edu.na Points: 2.60780 12. www.internet.na , Points: 2.58421 13. www.oasys.com.na , Points: 2.51922 14. www.nnf.org.na , Points: 2.20978 15. www.sysex.com.na Points: 2.19372 16. millennium.unam.na Points: 2.12801 17. wwwisis.unam.na Points: 2.12801 18. www.e-tourism.com.na Points: 1.96130 19. www.npc.gov.na Points: 1.85357 20. www.parliament.gov.na Points: 1.64096 21. www.nwr.com.na , Points: 1.61660...

Johannes Wilhelm Krabbenhoeft was the son of Friedrich Wilhelm Krabbenhoeft who established the trading house Krabbenhoeft and Lampe at Lüderitz, and his wife Lucie Krabbenhoeft née Forbes. He was born on 20.09.1882 at Keetmanshoop. Due to the fact that his mother was a "coloured" woman from the Cape Colony in South Africa, he had later difficulties in the Schutztruppe during the German colonial period. Present Day (2010) What am I doing by writing about this? The sociology of race and of ethnic relations is the area of the discipline that studies the social, political, and economic relations between races and ethnicities at all levels of society. This area encompasses the study of racism, residential segregation, and other complex social processes between different racial and ethnic groups. The sociological analysis of race and ethnicity frequently interacts with other areas of sociology such as stratification and social psychology, as well as with postcolonial theor...

http://www.namibiansun.com/story/way-things-are-africa Pashu Shuudi writes: ALTHOUGH hard to swallow, us black people despise everything that looks like us. To prove my point, not so long ago fellow blacks who run away from atrocities in their African countries were beaten, burned and some even killed by fellow blacks in South Africa. In Namibia, black supporters of the ruling party SWAPO and the opposition parties clashed in 2009 and we are still hearing of such quarrels or violence just in the name of politics. Through history, I have come to learn that we actually disliked one another before colonialism, hence fierce tribal fights during those years. Colonialism united us all in the fight against a common enemy. After colonialism, we saw the rebirth of what we thought was buried long time ago, tribalism, regionalism, favouritism, etc. Although we do not like others from other tribes, we all love things that we do not produce. We love fine branded clothes, (Polo, Paris Hilton,...

on Namibia's 21st birthday, 21 March 2011 This morning once more my country awakes This day is no normal day though, No, today my country has come of age, It is no longer a child, But an adult member of the world. I remember its birth many sunrises ago When I was chosen to raise our new flag, Looking out from that first maternity ward Over the rolling hills of our capital Windhoek The skyline created by the colonialists. Today, my country receives its key, The key to unlock things before hidden, Things that were forbidden to do, Now maturity must lend a hand And help in the choices it makes. During its teenage years, I became worried as it flirted, Its political alliances changing shape Hard words being exchanged during puberty Crying tears of unanswered love. As my country becomes more self-assured Exerting its own will and wants It is time to step quietly aside, Assuring it of my undying, continued love While letting it achieve its own greatness. S...

The African People's Organisation (APO), originally the African Political Organisation, was formed in Cape Town in 1902 and was initially the most prominent "coloured" pressure group in South Africa. Its interest in SWA/Namibia goes back to at least 1918 when it opposed the transfer of the former German colony to the South Africa Authority. The first SWA branch of the APO was established in Windhoek in February 1923. In informing the colonial authorities of the establishment of the branch, the leaders stated that the aims of the organisation were to defend "the Social Political and Civil Rights of the Cape Coloured Community throughout the SW Protectorate. Another political organisation which devoted itself to representing the Coloured community in SWA, the African National Bond, was also launched in Windhoek in 1925. The APO, although it recruited its members from the relatively small group of educated and economically comfortably off Coloureds, was to become the ...

Coloureds in Namibia since 1884: William Worthington Jordan, was a "coloured" man from the Cape Colony in South Africa. His father was British and his mother cape coloured. He was a hunter and trader in Botswana, Namibia and Angola. On 21.04.1884 Jordan obtained a land and minerals concession of 50,000 kilometres around Otavi and Grootfontein from Ondonga King Kambonde kaMpingana, king of the Ondongas in the interior of Namibia. Kambonde hoped to strengthen his position against his main rival for control of the Ongonda chiefdom, Nehale Mpingana. Jordan had traded with the Dorsland Trekkers and a group of trekboers on their way back from Angola were invited to stay on this concession he called the "Republic Upingtonia" - that on 20 Oct 1885 was founded as a settler polity with Grootfontein as its capital. He purchased the area on payment of 300 English pounds, 25 rifles, a slated horse and a barrel of brandy. Subsequently the name is changed to Lijdensrust(Ly...

I WAS shocked by the article ‘Manuel slams ANC spokesman on ‘coloureds’ remarks’ (The Namibian, 3 March) for being such a racist article itself! While addressing a racist incident in South Africa, the journalist made some disturbing racist statements: 1) The article refers to ‘… a mixed-race group of people.’ This is the language of the mentally-challenged apartheid ideologues and the fascists with their delusions about ‘racial purity.’ Some of the recent incidents in Windhoek show how mentally challenged the racists are. The question of racism remains relevant to us in Namibia since we are dealing with the same kinds of issues here. 2) ‘Coloureds – descendants of the British, Portuguese, African tribes and others – were forcibly concentrated in the western region…’ The coloured people were subjected to the Group Areas Act, but were never ‘forcibly concentrated’ as they have always lived in that region. It would seem that this racially-challenged article was written by some journal...

The company Credit Information Bureau Namibia has developed a consumer and business database of Namibia. The complete database comprises of approximately 1 million individuals and 10,000 businesses. CRIB provides mailing and telemarketing lists to clients in the financial and personal services industry. The company has filtered this database to create a "Professionals Database" made up of over 15,000 mobile numbers of high-net worth professionals throughout Namibia. HOW LIST RENTAL WORKS Most of the lists we have available are offered on a list rental basis, ie they are supplied for once off use only at a rate quoted as a cost per 500 individual consumers or company executives. For example - the cost to rent 1,000 professionals from the Namibian Professionals Database will be 1,000 x N$ 3.50 per 1000 for once off telephone, mailing and fax usage = N$ 3,500.00 excluding VAT. A processing charge of N$ 500.00 is also charged for any order. We will supply you with counts an...